


Until I Met You

by anahrose



Category: Romance - Fandom
Genre: ChicagoIllinois, Drugs, DubaiUE, F/F, F/M, PragueGermany, StPetersburgRussia, TucsonArizona
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-23 07:24:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 33
Words: 72,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12502000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anahrose/pseuds/anahrose
Summary: in 1995 Angel High thought she'd found the love of her llife.  but in one night it had all ended.  Ten years later that man was back in her life and it was turning her world upside down, because she'd never stopped loving him.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amny](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Amny).



Magnolia, Arizona 1995

 

March was the time the crops went out in the Stanley Farm at the base of the incline into Magnolia, between the hours of 7:30 and 3:30 the small town was quiet as sin, the children trapped in their classrooms on the hill Magnolia Schools System sat on, and separate from the town itself.

It was a cold drizzly day in the mining town and rainy day schedule for the student's life went on as usual. The Marine Corps Junior ROTC room was open for lunch and gathering of students. Closed, close cliques were easily formed in such small towns and the ostracizing of one or another led to pain and torture of the person and had them tossed out, such was life for one poor girl, Angel High, and this is where we find her on the 35-year-old school's grounds.

Angel sat on the cement wall outside the lobby doors to the school's girl's gymnasium. March rain fell in a cool drizzle on a sad little girl dressed in a set of military fatigues, her frizzy red hair pulling out of its braid. Glad for the rain the pudgy girl sniffed back her tears. She was alone nibbling on a sandwich outside because the sight of friends groups only made her even sadder. She didn't fit in with the other kids in the MCJROTC. She didn't fit in anywhere. The school was a lonely, ugly place and Angel only seemingly tried to fit into the hubbub.

She heard the door near her squeak open and Halex Adler stepped out into the rain, his cover tight on his head and he let the bathroom pass hanging from his pocket, his hair kept in a crew cut he leaned toward her, "Hey Angel, whatcha up to?" His hand reaching out to cup her chin bringing her eyes up to meet his as Rosa Lopez popped out the door,"Pudge crying again Halex?" She grabbed his arm and walked with him to the bathroom as Angel sniffled again, finished her soggy sandwich and went back inside for class.

Halex spun Rosa around. Slamming her back up against the gym doors as they closed on them, "Quit talking to her like that, you and your little bitches. She has done nothing to you," never had he ever felt like hitting a girl and he gave the pass to her and went to find Angel. Finding her inside, head in a calculus book.

"Angel? Can I talk to you?" His voice already a warm rumble in her ear, his minty breath moving her hair against her ear and Angel lifted her head, her plain unmade face looking at him quietly. Chewing on her lip she finally answered, "Sure I guess." Angel got up and moved to the back of the room. Halex leaned a hand on the display case behind her, "Don't let Rosa and her friends get to you. She only pushes you so far for two reasons. First, you let her and second, she has to hurt you to feel better about herself."

She looked at him with cold green eyes. "Why do you care now when you let her say stuff like that to me, and now you're blaming it on me," Her voice was sad and filled with hurt as the Sergeant nodded to them to go outside.

She got up slapping her cover back on her head and dipped back out in the rain. She was suddenly angry and shoved him back so hard he had to take a step back, his head colliding with the chin-up bar, "damn it Angel that hurt." She walked back to her spot on the lonely wall holding back the dirt and gravel.

Halex followed her, "I never let anyone get away with treating you like anything. You just don't see it." His hand closed on her shoulder as he turned her around to face him, "I tell them all off. I swear." Angels lip trembled and he pulled her close.

"Always never means just when I feel like it ...," Halex pulled her into a fierce hug and her heart picked up extra beats as the hug brought her a breath from his warm lips, and for a second she thought he was going to kiss her and her eyes slid closed a moment as she got used to the feel of him pressed against her body, he was solid and strong as she did so. His breath minty and inviting,

"Halex?" She breathed a shallow breath and looked up at him.

He looked down into her eyes pushing her back, "We can't-do this! Angel, your special, and you're going places." He swept lose hairs up into her cover, "you are going further than most of these idiots here. You're putting Magnolia in the rearview mirror and never looking back." He kissed her cheek softly and cupped her chin again, lifting her downward glance up into his eyes again a serious look on his face, "go to prom with me. Mom will get you a dress. A pretty one in your favorite color. Flowers... everything."

Angel just stared at him dumbfounded and stuttered her answer, "I-I can't I'm on the committee for the dinner and dance. I'll be there but you'll find me by the punch bowl." She was suddenly very confused and panicked her heart gave a sudden drop in her stomach and catapulted to wedge in her throat and she did what she did best at the time, she ran. She ran into the metal building that housed their ROTC unit, grabbed her bag and ran back out and up the hill, across the English classrooms and went to sit in the band room waiting for Band to start, quietly plucking out a song on the piano to calm her nerves. The Band Director, Mr. Scott, heard her plucking out the song and opened the door flicking on the light as he looked at her, "What happened now Angel?" She was like a daughter to him, someone had to guide her, and Lord knew her mother didn't.

"Halex asked me to the prom and I told him no," She hiccupped as her tears subsided and she turned to the man beside her. All her life she had been in his music classes, he was a role model to her and she bucked up and tried to stop shaking, "I don't know what to do. I thought for sure he'd already asked one of his girlfriends? Why me?" Mr. Scott sat down on the extra chair and closed the lid over the keys.

"It's been my experience throughout the years that there are these guys that have a following of girls behind him, pretty, airheads as you call them... But what he's after is the smart girl in the shadows. Go tell him yes, you will feel a hundred times better. I won't mark you tardy. Hurry up and get going before he does ask one of those girls." Her eyes brightened, "You really think so?" He nodded and watched her stand up and leave and he walked out of the band room and down the hall to the auditorium.

She left her bag running for the science wing. Halex would be heading to or be in, Mr. Davidson's Chemistry's class sitting at the front, stretched out in a dramatic slouch, but the bell hadn't rung yet and she opened the door when she got to it, shivering as she looked inside and walked up to his slouched form, tripping over his feet from the front of the lab table. "Yes," She told him staring at him and ignoring the rest of the class.

Halex looked at her, his dark brown eyes narrowed on her and he sat up, "Yes what?" He covered her cold hands with his and rubbed them to warm them up, "Yes you'll go?" A smile covered his stern face and he strokes her hands after warming them, "This is good news. Thank you for saying yes."

Angel nodded her frizzy redhead, Mr. Davidson was in the back of the class set up at the projector where he lay a typed page on the glass and smiled, "Miss. High, as I recall you tested out of this class and I'm about to begin, why don't you head on out and you two can continue your life numbing conversation after school."

Angel blushed, her cheeks turning a fiery red almost as red as her hair as he shoved her off, "Meet me at my truck when you get out of English, mom has a lot to plan for in a few short days. I expect it will include a drive to the outlet malls. Now go get or Mr. Scott will be tearing your head off." Her blush flooded down her neck and across her chest as she fumbled to apologize and Halex kept his eyes narrowed on her as a couple of the boys in the back started teasing her and he sighed throwing a wadded up paper ball at the closest one, "Shut up you! She's a good kid." He turned back around after getting some ribbing from Mike Playhe and Mr. Davidson cleared his throat, "If some of you may not have noticed we have a test today." Halex groaned, put away his book and workbook and sat up looking at Sara who just smiled and shook her head, "You are full of surprises Mr. Adler." Halex just grinned and got out a pencil watching Angel run across the Math wing and back up toward the auditorium and to the band room in the corner.

*~*~*

Angel gave Mr. Scott a thumbs up as she pulled out her trombone and climbed up next to her fellow first chair and started to warm up. Her hands were still ice cold, yet warm where Halex touched them and she didn't understand why. Her heart did a little flip-flop and then calmed down as they started to play their concert pieces in the auditorium. She was bursting to tell her band buddy about what had transpired while Mr. Scott worked on the woodwinds part to the Marry Poppins piece and she had to do it and turned to Jason and smiled, 

"Halex Adler asked me to the prom." Jason's brow lifted as he watched her, "Thee Halex Adler?" She nodded and frowned when his brow did not lower.

"Come on Jason its good news isn't it?" Jason shifted and set a hand on a shoulder.

"There are lots of reasons he could have done it for a number of reasons Angel... But then again it is his Senior Prom." He cleaned out the spit valve on his horn and looked at her. "I just don't want to see your heart broken. Promise me you'll be careful and not read more into it then there is there."

She nodded at him as he talked, "Thank you for sharing, I never thought of that stuff, but then Halex has never seemed the type to do anything with me because he feels sorry." Her good mood plummeted to a mass of nerves for the afternoon but she kept her word.

*~*~*

The rest of the day her classes went smoothly, no one bugged her, not even Rosa, and she got her books for homework and headed out to the parking lot and waited by Halex's truck, usually she walked home to see first if her mother was home first, If she was she crossed the street and headed down to Yoli and Gregor Adler's house where Halex lived with his two sisters. She was welcome there above all else, since the day Halex talked her into his truck after a very rough day when her drunken mother had locked her out of the house in a pair of shorts and a tank top in forty degree weather.

She began to fret as the track team began running their warm-up laps, the drizzle had stopped but threatened to restart anytime and she fixed her cover, her gym bag with a set of sweatpants and a tee-shirt and extra underthings was tucked under one arm and she fidgeted until she finally saw him coming up the center walkway talking with Mike and Sara and he nodded toward her and they headed over to say hi as he waved the specially ordered tickets toward her and Mike settled against the truck staring at her. "So the mighty midget do they even make dresses in your size?" Halex punched him in the arm and she blushed again, that bright warming red as she tucked her head down, "Dunno we'll see."

Halex opened the cab so the girls could get in where it was warm. Sara smiled, "So we're gonna share a table with you two, if that's all right, for the dinner and the dance. Halex didn't know what you would prefer, the chicken or the steak so he put you down for steak, medium." Angel smiled, "I would have taken either but steak is good. Yoli makes it once in a while. So you two aren't afraid of a Carrie remake?."

Sara nodded. "You should really cut your hair and up do it. I could come to help Yoli with it Saturday afternoon. It would look so pretty shoulder length, maybe a little longer, my big sister is a beautician she's taught me a lot."

Angel shifted, "I've never cut my hair except for an inch every couple of months... and it's so frizzy it's horrible." Angel admitted to her as Halex climbed in finally and Mike jumped in the bed for his ride home. He shifted the truck into reverse and pulled out from his spot by the gym and headed up to the highway and headed down the hill into the mining town cookie cutter houses and pulled up, up the street to drop of Mike and Sara and then turned down to go down to the 300 block of Essex and pulled up in front of his house and helped her out and they walked up the drive and called out as they stepped inside, "MOM! We're home."

Halex handed her bag to her and shoed her off to the bathroom to change, a few minutes later she came out and tossed her bag into the guest room and padded through their living room to where Yoli was finishing up with her sewing as she smiled and looked from Halex to Angel, "Go get something to eat Halex I want to talk to Angel."

Angel smiled and he vanished as Yoli pat her hand, "He told me you said yes to the dance. I am happy for you. We will go into town tomorrow and get your dress and shoes and things for your hair." She smiled her soft warm felt grin. Yoli was a kind-hearted woman that always had an air about her that made Angel think of the Russian Gypsy. Maybe it was Yoli's long lustrous black hair without a speck of silver to mark her years. Maybe it was the way she seemed to float when she walked or how she raised her family. Angel could never figure it out, but the woman held her attention with those dark, dark eyes framed by long, long lashes.

"I'm truly happy for you... you know Angel I foresaw this the first time he brought you home like a sad, bullied puppy when he found you. You blossom in my son's heart. That is the sweetest part of it all. You are an Angel. I'm making a casserole tonight. Made enough for you, saw your mom's car in the driveway on my way to the store."

Angel smiled and looked down, "Thank you, Mrs. Adler." She smiled, "I'm going to go study I have an English test tomorrow on Macbeth."

Yoli had sent her off with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk and she settled in at the desk in the guest room that served as her safety home away from home. She could hear Halex talking on the phone to his dad, they'd be having dinner with him tomorrow night which put a happy tone in Halex's voice when he hung up he came into the guest room and climbed up on the bed watching her. She tried to ignore him and read on the study guide but instead, she found herself looking at him from the corner of her eye and she blushed again giving up and shoving him over. "Why did you ask me to prom?"

Halex chuckled, "I asked you because you are a beautiful, intellectually brilliant woman who deserves to be a part of her senior year rite of passage, not pouring punch to her peers." He leaned on his elbow and looked up at her, "You do realize how pretty you are, don't you?" He smiled and brushed frizz out of her hair, now that the monster was released he couldn't help but laugh a little.

Angel huffed and sighed as she watched him, "In your eyes only." She pulled back her obnoxious curls and put them in a ponytail which only resulted in it looking like a red powder puff.

"In my eyes always." He kissed her cheek, "Always beautiful despite the physical flaws you are an amazing woman and I hope I get to see you go places."

"Thanks. I think." She smiled softly. "You're pretty good yourself." She laughed and held out the study guide, "Want to quiz me." The conversation made her nervous and she didn't understand why as she shook the guide until he took it from her and looked down at it. He'd forgotten she was in AP English.

"Sure." He started reading off the questions and waiting for her answers until his mom called for dinner at six and she went out and sat down next to Halex's older sister Anastasia. Ana smiled at her and hugged her close. She really was the oddball out in a family of lustrous women and men. They all had their mother's dark foreign eyes that made them all beautiful and here they were circling the wagons so that she could go to a dance that she was terrified of.

*~*~*

Two days later she was standing in Halex's kitchen, Yoli holding a pair of scissors as she eyed the mass that was Angel's hair and on the count of three she snipped off the thick heavy braid and threw away the mess she'd lobbed off and then Ana and her mother attacked the frizzy mess bringing it under control and bringing it into beauty, a little past her shoulders they had the curls sleek and beautiful then zipped her into her gown, a dark blue number with pale blue lace jacket, her shoes were silver and Yoli smiled at her while Ana did her makeup . 

Soon Yoli was ready to present her to Halex who could only stare at her, "Angel..." He went silent again as he fumbled on the table with a smile coming up with an empty box.

"Hey." She smiled up at him as he held up the corsage and slid it onto her wrist, beautiful blue carnations to match her gown and she watched him worried something was wrong.

"Hey there yourself." Halex smiled and leaned in and kissed her cheek, "You cut your hair... You look amazing." He stood for the typical pictures from Yoli and soon they were off to the school and everyone stopped and stared, while they couldn't make her skinny they could make her beautiful in all other ways and people who teased her before had heart about her now. She was a beautiful sight as she took a deep breath and walked on his arm like Ana had shown her the night before. Her feet were sure steps and the gown moved with her steps and she got to the table where Mike and Sara stood up to get a better look and Sara smiled, "You're gorgeous. There's gonna be competition tonight."

"You think so?" Angel asked her as Halex sat her down and she brushed her drooping lose curls back a little. "Yoli and Ana went above and beyond." She admitted as she licked her lips, the lip gloss has a cherry taste and she took a sip of water. "I feel like a fish out of water, to be honest."

"I would too. You're gorgeous though. Should get your pictures right away, we'll go with you and get a group photo too." Sara smiled and sipped her water then got up and let them over to the room they were using for the photos and they stood and posed, then the group pose and then they announced the dinner and plates were brought out according to table number and Angel grinned, "This looks great. Dinner and dancing, two new things to add to my list... I was supposed to be manning the punch bowl though." Sara gasped, "You would have come to your Senior Prom as food service?"

"Better than not coming at all I suppose seventy dollars a person was kind of steep for my nonexistent budget," Angel said as she talked with Sara over college acceptances and scholarship awards. She smiled as she ate some more potato, "I got a full ride to the University of Arizona while everyone else here nearly chooses Arizona State University. But it's for the medical program, I'm excited. Only Halex has known since I got the letter. I had all my college letters sent to his house and he was dancing the day it came in. He was crazy happy."

Sara chuckled as she cut another piece of chicken, "That's great, he always said you were going places and we'd all be sorry."

"He's a smart cookie. He's the one behind me pushing me up the hill though," Angel admitted as she took another drink of punch as the boys came back. Angel took the time to take in the decorations. The blue's and silvers of the waters, the green of the plants. It really was a night to remember and she sighed. This was the end to her and Halex, just as it began they had two months left and then catapulting into their college lives and she didn't know what else. Halex was set to go to the University of Arizona with her. He was taking the science route. 

Science pleased him and she sighed again as Mike took Sara out on the dance floor as Journey's "Open Arm's" started and she looked up at Halex who was holding out his hand and she smiled and took it with her petite hands and he slid out on the dance floor with her and pulled her close, her heels forgotten under the table and he encouraged her to stand on his feet and soon she was swaying like a pro. "Thank you, Halex. For tonight. For everything." She smiled and rest her head against his chest, it felt right as his voice was just a rumble of deep tones as she rubbed her face against his chest, trying not to crush his boutonniere. 

By the time the night was over Halex had taken a drive with her on a musical high and he kissed her softly. "I've been wanting to do that a long time." He smiled speaking of the soft kiss that stole their breath away. "Always means Always Angel. That will never change I promise."

She smiled and kissed his cheek, "You'll always be my best friend. We'll grow old together, Magnolia is set to be in both our rearview mirrors. Your mom says so at least. I hope it's true." She blushed softly and lay down on the bench seat of the truck and rest her head in his lap. Halex turned on the local country station and he lay stroking his hands through her hair, slowly pulling out the pins.


	2. Chapter One

2002

 

It had been a rough seven years for Angel High, moving to Tucson and struggling to stay at the top of her University classes before going on to medical school, one of the few opted into the 7-year program, she'd get out a year early and that meant her ten-year plan was obtainable. She wanted to go to a different state, to go to a new world away from the bad memories of Halex leaving her, of having no friends after she left Magnolia. She made acquaintances and her roommate situation was something out of a sitcom with Janie and Livia. She was pushing eighteen credit hours a semester leaving little to no room for any other life except work, and living with two other medical students was a positive and a negative, the lights were always on somewhere, the apartment always smelled like coffee and there were always textbooks littering the tables and floor.

They kept their apartment thru grad school going their own separate ways the closer to internships and in the final days before assignments were handed out all three of them went to different hospitals. Angel was sent to TMC, Livia to the county hospital, and Janie went all the way to Northwest so Janie moved to the northwest side. Angel fought her way to the top in the field of plastic surgery and landing a job in a hospital just outside Chicago in the end. She also met her new best friend while in internships. She'd had magnificent doctors to follow, a wonderful internship, indeed. She slipped through her rotations with ease, earning more and more with each step and improving her bedside manner with each patient. The Hospitalists were happy to have her around and her teachers were glad to be able to lead her up the right paths to excellent medical care.

At first, she thought the tall petite woman was a patient when she first joined her in the ER, but by the maternity floor, they had both decided what their programs they wanted to excel in and so they began their serious work. She met Rain Greyson in the Emergency Room rotation when she started and both had become best friends almost right away. Rain was a different sort and it put people on edge and other people opened right up when she talked to them. Angel always figured it was the tattoo's Rain had sleeves down both arms in a bright colorful montage to Disney's Alice in Wonderland cartoon. Her wispy blonde hair had streaks of purple through it that was kept up in a tight French braid when she worked but she loved proving to the people around her that someone they frown on in the ER or on a floor because of their marks or hair color could be the doctor that saves you next week and she decided on being on OB/GYN after their 6 weeks in maternity. She got to deliver four babies to Angel's two and fell in love with the mothers talking and joking with them, helping them get through their labors or lifesaving surgeries when they had no one else to help them...

Angel thinned into a bright bubbly girl who knew where she was going. She still had frizzy red hair she kept in a braid and pulled up in a bun she happily bounced around in her five foot nothing frame that let to lots of teasing about boxes and stools as they worked in a school. She lost her baby fat and her skinnier self-was full of more energy, full of more life. Everyone towered over her but if anyone could do it she could and happily adapted to life on a stool. Her hands were petit and just perfect for the field she chose. The plastic surgery field. Helping people overcome what she herself had overcome with hard work and courage. She had nearly emerald green eyes that sparkled with fire and bravery as she answered questions and procedures. The week before she graduated from the intern program she happily moved through her sections of what she had to learn as all medical students did, the psych round scaring her but she passed it.

Rain moved with Angel to Chicago for the first two years, but ended up back in Tucson, Arizona, working in a clinic there and delivering babies in TMC and St. Joseph's. Angel was still learning to be without her. When life threw her curveballs, Rain always had the answer and after their last fight she had no one left on her side and had to fend for herself until getting to know Georgia Coates the anesthesiologist in the clinic and for them in the hospital for the bad calls.

Georgia was six foot of beautiful bombshell, in a size one package. She was impossibly beautiful in blonde as that chick, Dita Von Tease was. She should have been a model truly. She had an infectious laugh, a bright open heart, and a too trusting attitude. How she was married to a man like Tobias Rain would never know, and Angel took to heart their friendship. They had picked up where she and Rain had slacked off. Georgia shared everything with her and Angel shared most everything with Georgia, but there was something like telling a woman her husband was a horn dog looking for scores outside the bedroom with her and trying to take up with Angel who was totally creeptastic. 

Collectively, Rain and Angel had been each other's guiding light, Where Georgia and Angel were a force to reckon with. Their last night together Angel and Rain had fought about Dr. Coates and the two hadn't spoken since. Rain had demanded there was something bad about him, something just not right. He way he stared after Angel infuriated Rain and she did her best to convey her feelings to her without stepping on toes while Angel defended his innocence. He was kind and had done so much for her in the last few years. Invited her to work in his clinic, Chicago Plastic Surgery, and showed her suture techniques for hard areas of the body which helped improve her status and standing in the medical community.

She had a good job at the hospital and in the clinic. Most of her pro bono work was found through the hospital E.R. and became clinic cases on follow-up work. While her fellow plastic surgeons were busy brushing elbows with the rich and powerful, contemplating the ways of giving them everlasting beauty; While throughout medical school she'd watched models get skinnier and their breasts get bigger, the world's call for unhealthy beauty made her sick as she watched poor children wander about with horrible scars teased and tortured because of the horrid facts of the world surrounding them. Nature had been so cruel to some of them, while the animalistic nature of humans had been cruel to others. 

So many bad marks at the hand of man. The girl playing on her front porch that got hit by a stray bullet. The little boy that got too close to his Uncle's fighting dog. A teenager ravaged in a car accident because the driver was drunk. A mother was beaten so badly to save her children. That was what decided her specialty choice helping the lesser people and she would find a way to offer it to all those that could not afford it. Angel dove into her lessons, working to make the less fortunate beautiful again, with tiny perfect stitches that she had worked hard to perfect.

She worked under the wonderful plastic Surgeon, Dr. Tobias Coates, husband to Dr. Georgia Coates. Georgia had become her best friend after a few months and they had weathered the worst and best of things together since Tobias had decided to open his own practice near the hospital, a small surgery suite for all three of them and the glory they would achieve. A large patient list and all the work that Angel could muster on the side, pro bono work for the less fortunate.

Tobias had become her mentor from the day she first started at the hospital, working with her, teaching her, staying long nights till her last patient was done, coming in early for a surgical consult, or making her stop and eat. In her eyes Tobias was a saint, a man that gave all for his patients and their families, getting the single practice for all three of them had been a blessing and the cause of the last fight Rain and Angel had. 

She loved children, wanted some of her own, yet she knew that would never happen as she had sworn herself to her lost childhood sweetheart, Halex Adler. It was Halex or nothing and she would die a spinster if that was in the cards. Why was she even thinking of Halex? He was long gone or dead, or both, he abandoned her when she needed him most, and now she pushed herself to prove her worth to a ghost that would never know.

She worked long, hard hours, long shifts. Still working the E.R. on call she lived with a pager on her hip and a cell phone in her pocket. Her body ready to strain as she worked her miracles in surgery. Some patients she sewed up directly in the E.R. with cops watching on to get their statements.

Just tonight she had worked on a three-year-old girl the neighbor's dog had turned on. Six-hundred stitches to put her back together but she did it and the girl wouldn't be ugly, she would have, if anything, soft white scars that would fade in time rather than the staple scars of a hurried surgeon having closed her up.

Angel had won awards for her work on these broken angels, awards for her promising future in the field. Tobias was getting angrier each awards dinner when his own work was overlooked, though his rich and famous patients would try and buy him the fame he pursued. She didn't trust him now that he was fully in control of her job though she swore he would never be, she would work her clinic hours, she would work her hospital hours and she would be the best damn doctor anyone could see when it came to reconstructive surgery. The cards she displayed in her office behind her desk and over the window were thanks enough, but the hospital kept recognizing her with awards, and now... Now Tobias had, had enough.


	3. Chapter Two

Angel was working late on a cold, Thursday night in the middle of December, on call as always, she was napping on the cot in her office when Tobias came in, stroking his fingers along her smooth arms as he watched her slowly stir, only her pager could ever seem to wake her up in the middle of the night without much work and he enjoyed the contact he got with her this way. He longed to stroke all of her skin, she was so pretty and sweet. Not cold and callous as his wife had become. He leaned over to brush his lips against the calloused skin of her fingers and smiled. "Angel, wake up... wake up Angel." Angel stirred but didn't wake up as she turned onto her back, her body shifting in her too large scrubs.

Tobias tried again, "Hey Angel, I got a trip for you." Angel shifted with a grunt and covered her eyes with her arm, "What is it, Tobias?" The light was blinding and painful so suddenly.

"I have to do some things here at the hospital, so I am sending you to the Plastic Surgery Symposium down on St. Bart's. Here is the information packet, your tickets, your hotel and spending money for food. Have a good time and enjoy yourself, and do yourself a big favor and get a tan. You're giving a Q &A session on your work in the field and in the private clinic on Saturday night. Keep your phone with you in case something comes up. Just represent us with pride and the loyalty we're earning a very good reputation."

Angel blinked in the bright light, who turned on her main light? She fumbled for her reading glasses as she scoots away from Tobias. The creepy older man smiled and set the folder down on her bare belly where her scrub top and long sleeve tee had ridden up her smooth, pale skin. His fingers lightly stroking the pale flesh just long enough to make her skin crawl before he left her in the flood of light in her own thoughts. Memories waking from her past as she flipped off the small light by her bed. "So St. Bart's," she said to no one in particular as she swung her legs over the edge of the cot.

She sat up, tugging her purple scrub top down over her white long sleeve shirt and sat opening the folder and looked over all the paperwork, but she couldn't get her boss out of her head the way he lingered and touched her. Something was up with Tobias. He never trusted her with this kind of thing. He was all about wining and dining the rich and famous, keeping their collogues guessing, and raking in the money to keep Chicago Plastic Surgery in the top fifty surgical centers. She sighed softly looking through the packet over and over again, familiarizing herself with it before trying to sleep out the rest of the night uninterrupted; But her pager went off at four and Angel took the cross-campus walk to the Emergency Room going inside to see to a woman whose husband had beat her up very badly.

When she got out in the early morning she went home to pack her bags for the trip: two nice dress suits and a pair of jeans with a lavender dress blouse, all the underthings and toiletries she would need and of course her comfortable sleep shorts and kitten shirt, both soft and nearly threadbare in places. She thought that would be enough and slid the zipper closed after tossing in her fancy dress shoes.

Walking downstairs she was greeted by all six feet of blonde bombshell that was Georgia and Angel's two Yellow Labradors, Dixie and Beau. Dixie was the sweet one, full of love and lots of wet kisses while Beau was the ever faithful guardian nothing got past him and Angel was never out of his sight while out. She knelt down calling her dogs to her and stroked their lustrous blonde coats and gave them hugs and kisses before standing up and looking at her best friend.

Smiling at the enigmatic Georgia, she led her into the kitchen to feed the dogs and showed Georgia exactly how to mix the wet food into the dry food in the matching silver bowls. "They'll let you know they are hungry the moment they get out of their crates. Beau shoves his paw in his bowl and scoots it around but he'll give it up as soon as you reach for it. Dixie is the good girl and sits and waits for her bowl." Georgia copied her with the second bowl to make sure she had it, the woman was smart and gorgeous and Angel trusted her with her life and especially with the lives of her babies. 

"After they eat they immediately go outside for the day. Then you just need to let them in at night and put them in their kennels." Angel told her as she let them out into the backyard, long yellow legs stretching and heading for the baby pool. "They might be wet when they come in but it's okay. They will dry off. They are water dogs by nature and love their baby pool." She smiled and slid the piece of metal in place closing them in the backyard.

Angel dug through her key rack giving her a cloverleaf keychain with a key dangling from it, "The house key my dear." Georgia smiled, "Thank you, dear. I love you and these dogs. I'll keep them safe."

Angel drug her bags out the door and slid them into Georgia's trunk and locked the door. "Watch over my babies carefully, I know you will but I can't help but say it." She smiled at Georgia who kissed her cheek they are in safe hands with me Angel. I know they are your babies and not just dogs to you." She moved around to the driver's side and slid inside. "It's snowing again I'd give anything to get away from this for a few days too. Just have a safe and fun trip, and don't forget to bring me something gorgeous," Georgia said with a smile as she turned the engine over and pulled out of her driveway.

"Just water the plants there all downstairs in the windows, there's a watering can under the sink," Angel slid into her seatbelt and pressed her head against the window as she yawned. Georgia took the scenic route to the airport arriving on time as she helped Angel as she got out and checked in her baggage, watching it go through the x-ray machines then headed to the terminal underground. While Angel headed for the line to get through TSA and head to her departure gate leaving Georgia behind.

Angel got on the plane in the bone-chilling cold of Chicago a little while later, jumping as they de-iced the plane. Sliding into a window seat and buckling in for the flight to Florida she watched as the plains below them, the patchwork of snow and green, the snow disappearing more and more as they got closer to Florida and soon she was admiring the Everglades and was happy she would be shedding her warm sweater soon. To think, just two weeks before Christmas and she would be wearing a bikini in the sun and sand for the first time in three years. 

Once she disembarked in Miami she had to catch her puddle jumper to the island and make her way out to the islands. The warm pale sand and sparkling clean waters warming her from the inside out as the captain announced their descent into the Bahamas and soon she was in the little airport below, and all she seemed to have on her mind was the man she loved stuck in her head as she dozed off and on while she paid attention to the ground to keep her stomach from grumbling.

Halex had slipped more and more from her thoughts until his handsome face and rugged features had all but faded from her mind, but something made her think of nothing but him the entire flight to St. Bart's. Her dreams filled with the boy from three houses down, his smile, his handsome looks, and his marvelous hair that curled around his face. He was her best friend and made the most important promise to her and then broke it as he fled their life on graduation night. She was still heartbroken by it and had taken down all her pictures with him in them to keep from reminding herself of it. She wanted the pain gone, He'd been there and in hours he had been gone, just vanished into the night.

She couldn't recall his father, but Yoli Adler had been a smart and beautiful woman that always had dinner on the table by five pm no matter the day, kept the house spotless and kept a clean bed in the spare room for Angel on her own mother's bad days. Yoli had become a second mother to her and taught her most of what she knew about being a conservative woman. She had been old school in her thoughts, and while Halex was free, she had cultivated the seed in Angel to be so and Angel was thankful. Those mindful manners had combed her into the wonderful woman she was now. They had made her able to merge into high society.

Then one night her alcoholic mother had beaten her for some ungodly reason and cast her out in the snow, but when she got to Halex's his parents had been gone. She could hear him in his room with another of his many girlfriends, and so she had curled up in the spare bed and cried there. Not even bothering to knock on his door as she had to listen until the girl slipped out his bedroom window as his parents pulled up. Angel had curled up in a hall and sobbed her heart out.

Halex had caught her crying and cleaned away the blood and tears, swearing he'd never leave her. That he'd never let another person hurt her like her family had. He'd said it in such a way that it had startled Angel who watched wide-eyed, nodding as she hugged him; but, then graduation came and the celebration passed. Halex and his entire family, their pets and family possessions just vanished into the night, and when she found them gone she crumpled on the carpet crying for two days before she pulled herself together and swore she'd only love him and not trust another soul. There was nothing of her left. 

Something startled her awake on the plane and they were heading to the tiny airport which was surrounded by bright clear blue waters and pale sand and she knew she was in an amazing place. After she got off the plane she collected her bag and went to wait for the bus that would take her to the hotel in the paperwork. Heading to the hotel still trying to shake Halex from her dreams, she made her way inside the beautifully designed extravaganza that overlooked the wild side of the beach, as the calm side of the island was full up with tourists. This gave her time to think. Why was she thinking about Halex? Why now after nine years! She sighed and bit her lip looking around at all the surgeons and colleagues around her. Men and women she recognized from all over the US talking to a few in line as she waited to get her room key and hotel information packet.

"Get out of my head Halex, you're dead." She whispered as she waited in line for one of the elevators as she clumsily took all four of her bags of luggage as she made it to the elevator before losing her grip on all four bags and just fell into the mirrored box, cursing it as she collected herself dreaming about Halex had obviously jarred her in a way she could not control and she took a deep breath and started out of the elevator on the fourth floor and looked for room 4211 and slipped inside the fresh crisp smell of new paint and fabric softener assaulted her nose. At least the hotel was on the up and up about cleanliness and freshness. She popped open the door and set the bags on the bed, two for herself, two for the presentation and she moved around the room as she set the work bags by the door.

Moving across the room, she smiled as she opened the heavy, light cancelling, curtains first and gasped at the beautiful view of the windsurfing side of the island, it looked both fun and dangerous, but she was here, she supposed she'd maybe work on a tan, it was Friday, and she didn't have to speak until tomorrow evening so she flipped through everything in her bag. Finding a tiny pink shimmering bag she read the note, "From Georgia, don't let this go to waste this weekend. She dumped it out and two scraps of white material floated to the bed as she eyed the white bikini and blushed. Only Georgia would gift her something so... tiny.

She slid into it and a blue gauze top as she trekked down to the elevator in a pair of plastic flip-flops. She headed down to the entrance floor, springing out into the warm sun she passed island natives selling homemade jewelry in the form of shell bracelets and necklaces, and there were wind chimes made of shells, she made a note to look again at the island beauties before she left on Sunday. She hugged her bag to her body and hurried to the hotel part of the beach and she looked for a place to settle and she did, digging her toes into warm sand, it was still so strange to be in heaven when back home everything was frozen and lifeless.

As she settled down into one of the resort chairs, she nestled her bag in the white sand next to her. Angel's red hair was blowing around in the wind. The braid barely holding onto it as she grabbed the attention of a beach boy and got two hotel towels and settled into the sun-drenched warmth as she read her hotel packet to find out who all was here and speaking. She decided she would go to several presentations that night and two in the morning before she spoke, going over her cards next she got comfortable with the speech and possible Q&A answers that Tobias had tucked in the bag, then decided she would answer the questions as she saw fit and tucked the cards back in the bag and ordered some drink from the boy in the hotel polo.

Soon there was a Pina Colada at her side and she sipped as she pulled out her e-reader and started reading the newest Charlaine Harris novel, relaxing that afternoon unaware she was being watched from up on the restaurant patio by a deep pair of rich chocolate eyes. The man's skin was deeply tanned and yet still told of its olive roots and he shifted, sipping from a glass as he took her in and smiled deeply. It had to be her. His Angel. He took his seat again, eating from his dainty evening meal. His eyes, if not on the wonderful appetizers, was on the girl reading on the beach. His long hair blew around his face and down over his shoulders. He was dangerous looking and that's the way he liked to keep it.

By the time the tropical night turned cool and sweet smelling, he had disappeared inside and Angel was packing up to head back inside after a cool dip in the wonderful water, then she headed inside to grab a room service meal and unmade the bed for the night, slipping into her ever favorite pajamas, the black boxer shorts, and kitten adorned, threadbare, off the shoulder top. She had lost track of time and ended up not going to the presentations that evening and she sighed softly as she slid between the sheets, she never saw that man that had been watching her and she nestled into the sheets completely at peace. 

The wind chimes she had purchased were tucked carefully in the corner and the jewelry tucked in her makeup bag as she had the reader back out wanting to finish her book before sleep overtook her and soon she was having the dreams of Halex again, and she was left wondering why in the middle of the night. She sat up sweating and cried out his name. "Halex," she took several deep breaths, "Halex if you're haunting me, I wish you would let me sleep!"

By the time she settled back into sleep, it was four am and she sighed in upset and stroked her chest, it hurt as though her heart had been yanked out of her chest and she tossed and turned. Life was not being fair and the red-haired beauty was at a loss as she gave up and settled into shower and picked one of her nice suits, the grey one with the pink top and she slid into a pair of heels and slid downstairs for an early breakfast of eggs in a basket, hash browns and bacon with tea and was going over the presentation notes once more. Tobias really wanted to steer the business toward cosmetic surgery when she did life-altering surgery to help those hurting and she made it a point to add her business in with Tobias'. 

After breakfast she took a walk in the gardens in the front of the hotel, bumping into the dark man who had been watching her the night before and excused and pardoned herself before moving deeper into the gardens and she found herself in an early morning heaven. She missed her garden in winter and now, now she was in a place she could relax and find herself more at ease. She checked her watch and headed back in to go to the first presentation on suturing techniques and sat in the middle so she could ask questions if needed.

The man was once again sure it was Angel and watched her walk around the garden, enjoying the plant life of the beautiful gem, and it made him think she'd enjoy where he lived now, despite it being a desert hell, it was also an oasis. He wanted so badly to reach out and grab her, to love on her. Leaving had killed her and he sighed. Watching her leave he headed back to the hotel to complete his business so he would be free the rest of his stay and he smiled watching that heavy red braid bounce around a corner and into the meeting rooms.


	4. Chapter Three

After her speech was finished and she had gone back up to her room to change from her power suit of grey pinstripes and a pale pink top into the faded bootcut jeans and flirty lavender lace top she had packed for just the occasion, for an after-hours dinner and drinks at the Hotel Bar. Now she was surrounded by men and women from the island working to keep the group fed and full of liquor as they could watch out the windows to a huge storm building over the ocean and the men and women from her profession enjoyed their beautiful evening. 

She had delivered an outstanding Question and Answer session and had left on deafening applause. She felt proud, rather than a failure, her small speedy hands had easily moved through the power point presentation she spoke on her leg of the plastic surgery stand instead of Tobias's cookie-cutter speech and it seemed her peers enjoyed it and now, now she was done and enjoying a glass of red wine and bopping to the jukebox in the corner of her hotel bar stools where the people from the conference were beginning to flock.

Bon Jovi's 'Shot Through the Heart' began to pound in the bar and she chuckled, she had a soft buzz but not yet enough to overpower her as she slid out to the dance floor, her keys and key card in her jeans pocket jingled as she danced to the beat of the music. Singing along to it with several other girls she had recognized from the lecture. Drink offers began to pour in as doctors from all over the world threaded in and out in the cool night air of the mix of partygoers They were meeting each other, old friends, and new companions. It was becoming a loud and rambunctious bunch. That just fed Angel's happy high. She hadn't taken notice of anyone at the table beside the bar as she was pulled in for another dance before begging off as the song slowed down and she went back to her seat with a warm smile and waved her hand to the bartender to get a fresh drink and start in on her dinner, a plate piled with jerk steak and potatoes.

Angel was quiet in her joy, singing to the music as some of her favorite songs from high school filled the air. She had switched drinks to her longtime favorite, a Pina Colada, and sipped the pleasant coconut drink. Starring at the bars reflection in the mirror she could see the whole room, and something made her pulse beat stronger as she turned to look to the left. It was a madhouse, couples hanging onto one another, the girl's speaking in murmurs and laughing at other girls. They were getting louder as they drank and sang along with their musical choices. 

The camera's flashing was mindboggling and making Angel light headed both from the booze and flashes of light. Trying to keep an eye on the gentleman behind her, her stomach grumbled. All she could really see him in the pale light was that he was broad shouldered and had long hair that curled around his neck, collar, and face and slid down his back. Something kept her attention something deep and dangerous as though she knew the man and she doubted that. He looked as dangerous as the pit in her stomach felt.

He was barely perched on a stool behind her watching her as he sucked the remains of his drink, turning the swizzle stick in his fingers and she blushed looking down as her eyes caught his a moment, just holding his gaze. Why was he making her heart beat like a stampede? She touched her chest trying to concentrate enough to still her heart in the pounding bass flooding her system from the jukebox. The man was ruggedly handsome. His cheeks and chin brushed with a shadowing of scruff, but there was something about his eyes, warm, knowing, yet dangerous and then he smiled making her smile softly in return and tugged at one of her own stray red curls.

"He can't be looking at me," she said a little too loudly and the young man in a lime green polo behind the bar chuckled, "He be looking at you lady, he been looking at you a long time." He laughed and slid down the bar to get two girls more shots as she smiled and looked back at the man. He seemed familiar, but she wasn't sure. It left her excited and turned on. How was a stranger exciting her so? She was lost as her buzz was slowly building, her body was tingling and she smiled softly into the mirror as she ordered another drink. Pulling the drink close with the tingly tips of her fingers.

He was handsome, forbiddingly so, as she took in that long, curly hair when she thought he wasn't looking. It flowed about his shoulders nicely, cupping his face in thick, tight curls and his eyes were so dark, from the distance, they looked that eerily, yet sexy, black. She licked her lips, "send him another drink and put it on my tab please." The alcohol in her system wiping away all sense of reason as she drank in his figure through the mirror. Maybe he wouldn't catch her staring and dreaming wicked dreams that the drinks were helping.

The bartender nodded and made the mineral twist and sent it over with her regards and she watched in the mirror, her head ducked toward her chest as he lifted the drink to her and smiled as he sipped it leaning back watching the throng of drunken doctors and fellow colleagues that was starting to thin out all but the ones the alcohol was pacifying as they danced and sang pairing off in small groups or couples and heading up into the hotel. She kept her eyes to the mirror waiting to see if the dark man would leave. Was he meeting someone? With someone? She was curious to see as she finished her third drink.

She kept her distance switching to Jagermeister shots, paying for three, she lined them up on the bar and watched the man behind her as she downed each one, the burning black liquor tasted of black licorice, a sweet high to the crashing burn through her body. Not normally a drinker the alcohol hit her harder than she expected to toast the girl next to her in the drunken stupor that was eating at her belly burn, "thanks."

Her mother had drunk herself into an early grave back when she was still taking pre-requisite classes at the university. She had also sworn that she wouldn't become her mother something she feared greatly and yet here she was closer and closer to three sheets to the wind over a man, "Just like mama." She slurred ordering another umbrella drink.

"You sure you okay lady?" The bartender asked getting her another Pina Colada and took her cash, smiling at her as she sipped the drink.

The man behind her slowly drank his third drink of the evening, his own business long over and he had wanted to see all these better to do's turn into idiots and he was getting his money's worth tonight. It amazed him how good fairing people could turn into complete idiots at the drop of a hat when they thought no one was listening or watching, away from their offices and clientele. He shook his head and took another sip, spinning the swizzle stick in boredom as he continued to watch the redhead in the mirror with complete curiosity and he sighed. She was getting toasted and looking the fool too, she really had reminded him of Angel, but his Angel wouldn't get drunk like this. 

No matter her pain, she had never turned to booze but tonight, some kind of demon was drinking her under the table. Pushing down all the walls she had built up as fast as she tried to put them up. The liquor left her brain feeling like it was fuzzy and her tongue like cotton and it turned her giggly and something about it made her like it, the freedom it was giving her soul as conservative Angel slipped out the door slamming the door and locking it so that inebriated and lust-worthy Angel could be free. She slammed down the third shot glass and the bartender arched a brow. "Easy there lady I'll have to cut you off." She shook her head, "No more for now." It came out slurred and made him smile as she giggled and ordered another Pina Colada and sipped it watching the party surge as her whole body was going lax as she sang along. Her eyes always looking for her gentleman watching him she pushed back her empty glass and turned to look at a girl who bumped into him.

Half an hour later, and definitely three sheets to the wind, she slid off the stool on shakily, rubber legs and tried to make it to the jukebox, she had to see if they had any Daughtry in the box and she swayed on her $400 dollars heels, nearly lost her balance and tried to kick off her strapped on heels resulting in a bob and weave to the box. Swaying away from roaming hands and catcalls as she collapsed halfway there, her ankle twisting, hitting her head on the parquet floor.

She saw stars and her head was pounding, everything was melting together as she felt like she was going to lose the contents of her stomach. Others were just staring down at her laughing. The man she had been watching in the mirror had stood up and made his way over to the throng of people around her and he leaned down to look at her, holding out a hand, as his image wavered in front of her eyes and his mouth moved but she couldn't hear him. "Let me help you," he asked over the music but not over the pounding in her head as she rolled over onto her knees. He didn't step back but leaned closer to her. Probably a stupid mistake as he saw that look on her face and he kissed his loafers good-bye. 

Angel's hands gripped onto the man's khaki's as her belly gave up the alcohol on his expensive Italian loafers. She felt ready to cry. She was so embarrassed and hurt as she climbed her way up his tall frame, her hands knotting in the white button-down shirt, her head just reaching his chin in her heels as she wavered before him. Her eyes watered and filled with tears as she looked down. "Sorry," She mumbled as she tried to take a step back and decided against it when she wobbled again.

The gentleman helped her up and out of the bar. They moved into the lobby for fresh cool air. He placed a cool cloth that one of the servers got him, onto her neck as she looked up at him swaying back and forth. He sat her on one of the hotel benches watching as she tried to sit up straight. In return she was just watching him as she swayed side to side and wiped at her mouth with a tissue, tears streaking her cheeks.

"I'm just so sorry." She apologized again and bit her lip trying to keep from crying any harder as she tried to focus her eyes her body feeling less light as the alcohol had been purged from her system. Angel was pink in the cheeks embarrassed and rubbed her hands together as she watched him.

"Odd night for a binge, eh?" He asked as he leaned in closer, "Give me your keys." He held out his large hand as she pulled the keys out of her jeans pocket, the room key fluttering to the floor as she looked up at him. His own eyes drifting to the room key and he chuckled as she fumbled trying to pick it up, "I'm twenty-seven, I think I know when I've had enough!" She sounded like a petulant child and only got another deep chuckled out of him. She finally got the card and tried to stand up. To get away from him in a last-ditch effort to save her cowardly self before she fell victim to his charms and wobbled on her heels as he pushed her back down.

'He knelt in front of her watching and just smiled, "Well hardy-har-har, it's a pleasure to meet you here, too. You look like a fourteen-year-old going on their first drink of liquor, you are definitely a lightweight, pardon me, " he laughed as he started to unbuckle her heels at her ankles his fingers stroking the flesh there as she wiggled them and he set the shoes on the bench beside her. "What would possess you to wear six-inch heels?" He brushed her red braid over her shoulder as he licked his lips waiting for her answer. Oh, stuff! He was handsome and she was getting sucked in, he probably devoured women like her for breakfast and she finally answered him a bit flushed again and embarrassed.

"I'm short," she finally said. It was true, the green-eyed beauty barely reached five foot flat footed. It was her pet peeve and caused her to wear thick-soled boots and hospital shoes, but willingly stood on a stool in surgery... But she wouldn't give up that fact for as long as she lived. She'd been too short since everyone else had their growth spurts in high school, she'd always hoped she'd flourish a last minute growth spurt in college but never did. 

Angel glared at his rugged face her fingers finally untwisting from the white button-down and she took notice of a few missing buttons from when he helped her up. "I'm sorry about that." She shook her fuzzy feeling brain, "I don't normally drink. I lost a dear friend to it a while back. I try not to do it at all my mom passed away from it too. Not really a fun game for me..." She realized at some point she was rambling and closed her mouth, her green eyes searched his face as she shifted. "Your eyes remind me of someone I knew a long time ago, but he's been gone a long time. I don't think he'd even remember me." She dropped her head back on her shoulders and closed her eyes, her fingers slipping through his curly black hair without thought. "Your hair's so soft."

"And your still drunk let's get you to your room," He tried not to laugh as she continued on and when she stopped he was finally able to get two words in and tilted his head to the side, "It's all right. I was worse when I had my first can of beer." The longer she stared at him and he stared back he realized that there was something oddly familiar about her too, like someone from his own past. He shook his head, she'd be married with kids by now and in that moment he realized why he'd tried so long and hard to forget her too. She was his kryptonite and he was at a loss as to what to do, all those old emotions came racing back and he shifted to look at the girl again and evened his gaze, "Up we go."

She pushed on his chest causing him to stumble again and she dropped the key card as she swayed into him, "Somehow I do know you. Of all the places to get stuck with someone I know. While I'm acting the fool." She sighed and stumbled for the elevator as he scooped her up, her hands grabbing her heels as not to lose them. She curled into him and rest her head on his shoulder as her eyes slid shut and she drifted in and out of consciousness as the feeling started to come back into her limbs. Vomiting all that alcohol out of her system had really been a good thing. She had to remember... moderation.

"You really need to get away from this place, pronto." He tells her as he carries her into the elevator, and pushed the number four button, only to feel her fingers dance over his cheek and he did his best to ignore her. He was watching her in the mirrored walls of the elevator, taking her in on his shoulder. She was so petite it was like holding a young girl instead of holding a grown woman. He shifted as the car started to move up to the fourth floor, noting the room number on the card, 4211, when the doors slid open, they moved down the hall of the fourth floor, toward her room. It was a balancing act to get her up in one arm so he could slide the card through the reader. Finally getting the green light and beep as the lock opened he got her in and looked around her room. Quietly he carried her through the door and looked down at her with a soft smile, "How are you feeling?"


	5. Chapter Four

"Should probably introduce myself," she slurred pressed her face to his warm neck, "I'm Dr. Angel High, I'm here as part of the Symposium on Plastic Surgery. Just trying to have a little fun tonight, it's a beautiful one and I may never be able to come back. My freedoms are not so easy to come by, I'm married to my job." She smiled softly as she clung to him in her tight grip. Nuzzling her nose against his neck, "You smell divine... Like Honey and Sandalwood." She kissed against the vein straining in his neck, pulsing quickly with his heartbeat the fluttering feeling tickled her lips as she nodded off in his arms.

Halex nearly dropped her as he stared at her face and shook his head, no way could he be this unlucky. "Halex Adler." He said feeling her nuzzle into him was making him need her with all of him going crazy, no way this beauty in his arms could be mousey Angel. But when he looked down at her again, her eyes closed and her body limp. He realized then that she hadn't heard his name. He could see the soft delicate structure of her face, that she was still deeply broken, what had he done to her? What had come to cause such grief in even her sleeping form and he stroked her hair back from her face as he kicked his loafers off by the door before stepping into the room.

She'd shed all the baby fat and now she was an irresistible woman. Her curves delicate and soft, and he swallowed, he had to stop paying attention, he had his own business to take care of he couldn't get mixed up with another girl when he had Ileana at home. He checked her left hand, no rings, no ring tan. How it was that this creature was still single. He damned himself then as he set her hand back down and let the door close as he brushed his lips against her nose and smiled, "I'm not writing you off again Angel. It's my life now. I'm a grown man." He promised her sleeping form and yet she smiled in her sleep.

Halex carried her across the room to the great big bed and pulled back the covers as he sat her down on the mattress and lay her down carefully, getting her comfortable and pulled up the sheet then set her heels next to the bed and stepped back watching her as he stretched and smiled as her eyes slid opened watching him. Halex was about to do something he knew he'd regret as he shed the destroyed dress shirt and dropped it to the floor as he walked back toward her as she giggled in her inebriated state and he started to unbutton the pretty lavender blouse that brought out her green eyes.

Slowly he lowered himself onto the bed next to her and turned her face so he could press his lips to hers, slowly tasting cherry flavored lip-gloss and the staying tang of the Jagermeister and chuckled to himself as she reacted to him, turning to sling her leg over his hip she kissed him back, trailing her fingers through the coarse hair on his chest. Her lips left his as she let out a low moan of need and her hips rolled against his body, her pants rubbing against his as she broke the kiss and whispered in the dim light.

"Please...," Angel begged him softly as he caught her hands in his kissing her again.

"Slowly Angel, slowly." He stroked her face as he moved his hand to her bra and cupped her breast through the expensive La Perla lace. He licked his lips as he traced rough fingers over the smooth skin of her shoulder to her elbow. She was everything he could have ever wished her to be and that nagging feeling came to the back of his thoughts, he couldn't sleep with her, not like this and he sighed softly as he resorted to just holding her, stroking her warm skin as he fought the emotion she drugged up as he let out a shaky breath, hades she was driving him insane. "Angel you need to stop or I'm going to do something with you I'm going to regret." He warned her and she stilled under him and smiled, "And what if it's something I want?"

That caused him to still and slip his hand into her hair. "If it's something you want we can compromise and see where it leads us to go." He nipped the flesh of her jawline as he pressed his hips against hers. "Baby I want to make love to you so bad, but you deserve so much more, and so much better. I'll just break your heart all over again."

She pressed against him with a grunt and dragged him down into a deep kiss, "One night of no strings attached," she whispered as she kissed the shell of his ear and nibbled on his scruffy jaw. "You are so sexy. Please just... please. I need this so bad."

Halex growled and shifted up to end up beside her thighs as he grabbed ahold of her pants yanking them down her trembling legs and dropped them on the floor and kissed each ankle as he practically purred, nipping at the skin of each calf, placing soft kisses on the back of her knees as his hands slid up the outside of her legs as he happily kissed his way over her thighs and his fingers knotted in the lace of her panties and he looked up at her, she'd quit begging and he slowly pulled back to look at the now sleeping woman and he knelt next to her saying a quiet string of cuss words.

He pulled himself up and covered her up as he slid out of the bed to pace the floor until he calmed down. Ending up in front of the window staring out at the beautiful lightning storm that danced across the sky over the clear blue ocean. It had been a long time since a girl had put him in so much pain and he looked back over his shoulder at her sleeping form and pulled the chair around to watch out the window. He wanted to talk to her now so he would stay until she woke. Quietly drifting off in the chair, his head dipping against his chest.

***

"What is your name anyways can I at least ask that of my hero?" Angel asked waiting behind him in the dark room her arms crossed over her breasts a few hours later. It was three A.M. and now the buzz had worn off, he'd let her sleep a while and now she was staring him down at him as he sat on the edge of the bed, tugging back into his ruined button down, fingers arguing with the few last remaining buttons, she'd managed to pop off half of 'em downstairs, and the few left were hanging on by threads.

Halex stuck those strong hands in the pockets of his khaki's, "Depends on who's asking?" He smiled and turned on the corner to look up at her and shifted. Wanting so badly to touch her he shoved his hands in the pockets till he felt the seams start to stretch. She filled out the cups of the expensive La Perla bra and it just caused him to ask the second question, "How do you justify wearing five hundred dollar underwear?"

She slumped to the bench at the foot of the bed. "Angel Alexi High. Angel Alexi High of Magnolia, Arizona." Angel sighed as she watched him waiting for an answer ignoring the underwear question, besides how'd he know how much her underwear cost anyhow?

The same shock from earlier filled his face, his wicked smile vanishing, "Pardon?" He deadpanned completely. He shifted sitting beside her, "The Biology freak? Magnolia High 1995?" Halex touched her hand lightly.

"How did you know that?" Angel shot up looking at him as she started urging him toward the door. "How did you know that!?"

"How did I know what?" He slid his hands out of his pocket and raked back those unruly curls. "It's Halex Angel... Halex Adler. You sure morphed into one serious case of bombshell." He watched her as she paced, all her memories flooding through her addled brain and she looked up sniffing back tears as she trembled, "You left me behind," Was the first thing out of her mouth as she held up her hand...

"No. No, you're dead. You died. You died and never came back. You're not Halex." She was shaking like a leaf she was so confused and upset. Halex stepped toward her and tried to cup her face as he followed her eyes, "Look at me Angel, look in my eyes." She refused to wrenching out of his with a cry of pain and turned practically flinging herself into the bathroom and locking the door sobbing as Halex looked around at the messy room and started picking up the mess, letting her have her sobering cry as he found her wallet and flipped it open, looking at the pictures in the little plastic holder shocked to find pictures of him and her in high school and then some of her mom and dad and he shoved the wallet in her purse. "This is stupid... why the hell would she still have my high school pictures than swearing I was dead?" 

He was confused, hurt and confused and he sat in the high-backed chair by the desk and just watched the door as he rubbed his chin. How was he going to get out of this? How was he going to explain things to this beautiful bird? She surely asks questions and supposed he could not tell her all of the truth, but he could tell her enough to support the whole truth and he ran his hands through that unruly mop again as he got up and knocked on the door. Not getting an answer he pushed open the door and found her passed out on the marble floor and he sighed and bent down to wake her and she looked up at him and without question, she pulled back and slapped him.

He rocked back on his heels, "I guess I deserved that Angel. Come on, get up. You need to be in a bed you'll regret the tile." He moved to help her again and she stood up and wiped her hands on her bare legs and moved toward him, pushing him out the room door before he could answer her as she started to cry. 

Halex leaned back against the door, rubbing his eyes with one hand as his other stayed splayed over the heavy door. "Oh, Angel I would never seek to hurt you, ever. It seems though, I already have put you in more pain than you ever deserved. He slid down his side of the door and sat there listening to the air conditioner blow in the quiet hall, no laughter, no anything. He was as alone in those moments as he had made her.

So much past emotion just welled up inside of her as she slid down the door, crawling to the bed as she let things start to sink in as she climbed under the crisp linens and cried herself, a little too easily thanks to the alcohol coursing through her system, to sleep for a short while. Enough that as she woke she felt an emptiness in her she thought she had long since closed and she climbed into the shower ignoring his knocks on the door as she stuck her head under the hot water, washing away the filth of the night's exploration. Parties were definitely not her thing.

"Danger! Danger!" cried his subconscious but he didn't listen. This was a woman he had not forgotten in nine years. He watched her door and his heart swelled, this was Angel, his angel and he was scared he would mess her up. If he got too close he could suck her into his world where it always rained, and there was always the real danger in his life, there would never be just one woman and watching Angel made him think of just one woman. His life was powerful and straining, drugs and money, sex and rock'n roll; suddenly he was picturing a house, kids, and a dog.

He turned to leave, it would be that simple, and he would just go. He paced a few minutes just watching her door still 4211 burning into his brain as those deep chocolate eyes danced with compendious emotion as he ran his hands through his long dark locks and they fell back around his face in tight curls.

Halex tried again for the door. How long had he been there that she was waking, or perhaps she had not had that much to drink after all and her metabolism had helped wipe the effects quickly and he stood there. His blue tie loose at his neck, the buttons on his white shirt open showing a bit of tanned skin as he rests his hands against the khaki slacks, his shoes off outside the door again, to not drag her early vomiting inside the room and ruin the lush carpet and his eyes followed her as he looked inside the room where Angel was now pacing like a cat on bath day, "Angel, I brought you to your room. You passed out downstairs."

"I remember kind of... Thank you so much." She smiled a soft grin that reminded him again that he needed to get away, had she been that blind drunk? Oh he really hoped so, they had nearly made love on the rumpled bed and he was a bit embarrassed but now she was wrapped up in a pair of black boxers and an off the shoulder kitten shirt and he smiled.

"What is your name," she asked, her lithe form moving to get up, still a little shaky as she went to the mini fridge and got a can of soda and a bag of M&M's. 

Halex shifted closing the door behind him and sat in the high-backed chair by the desk once more, "Halex Adler, We knew each other a long time ago." He set his hands on his thighs as he watched her dig into that bag of M&M's she had ferreted out of the mini fridge and licked his lips, "You look a lot different. Time changes us all."

"I'm never drinking again it is vile." She sat on the bench at the foot at the king size bed digging in her suitcase and watching him out of the corner of her eye. "Have a seat Halex, if that is truly who you are she offered to his already sitting form, "There is only a little resemblance to the boy that left me behind and the man that stands before me nine years later." She motioned to the high back chair in the corner and nibbled on her lip.

Halex stopped and stared at her, she didn't remember and that compendious look came back as he thought hard. "Don't chew on your lip you know it drives me to distraction." To tell her the truth or lie to save her pain and heartache and he sighed taking two steps to her and cupping that angelic face and he lowered his lips to hers, kissing her deeply, and his lips soft and gentle upon hers as she sighed returning the kiss. "I am Halex. Don't drink it kills you."

He took a deep breath as he earned a second hard slap and half expected to be spit on as he licked his lips tasting chocolate and he dropped into the chair as he watched her, his hand pressed to his now tender cheek, "I'm sorry Angel. I'm sorry I left you. Please don't make tonight about that, have my warmth and then I must leave."

Angel just stared at him her heart shattering again. After nine years she had finally come to terms that he was dead and put him to sleep. In nine years she had finally put to rest any thoughts that he could live and breathe and meet with her but then her heart skipped a beat, her Halex was alive and the candy slid from her hands as she bit her kiss-swollen lips, "Sorry. Why did you leave me alone all these years, why did you just leave me behind?"

Halex shifted in the chair watching her. Angel was so beautiful and even at twenty-seven she was still naive and innocent and he lifted up out of the chair he had dropped into, "I can't explain why Angel please don't make me do it." He took her hand and turned it palm up, tracing a heart and smiled, "You really are beautiful.

She shifted on the bench finishing off the soda and tossing the can in the trash. "Where did you move, at least that." Angel popped a few M&M's.

He shifted as he knelt before her, "Well first we went to Washington D.C, and dad had business there taking care of my Uncle's estate. They died in a car crash and I ended up in Dubai working for my uncle's company. But I better go now." He pushed up from the floor and headed toward the door. Turning to look back at her sad eyes he sighed, "Have a good night Angel Alexis High." Have a good life, find a good husband." He turned the door handle but didn't pull it open waiting for her voice but what she said to him nearly killed him.

"I've always been faithful to you Halex, I've never dabbled in or consummated anything. I've never screwed just anyone, Hell I've never had sex with anyone," Her voice was very soft and sad when she spoke and watched him. "I always prayed you'd come back. Stay please." She sounded close to tears.

He let go of the handle letting it click back locked as he moved to sit by her, stroking her cheek, "Oh Angel. Sweetheart, That's good you are far more worthy of one man and one strong life than many men and a broken life. Tell me something special about you, what makes your heart tick beside old photos and memories of me?"

She watched him, her green eyes on his face as she thought a long moment then answered with a wide grin, "I have babies though." Reaching into a bag she pulled out a pink and white lace covered photo album handing it to him.

"Babies... but you just said you're still a virgin so was it Immaculate Conception then? You always were religious. Always went to church." He stroked his hand over the soft pink album cover and slowly opened it, almost dropping it as the realization hit him when he saw her holding two very tiny lab puppies as she continued to babble away as she went into the bathroom to clean up.

Washing her face and coming out and setting her cell phone down. She smiled going back for another soda, "I have to leave first plane out in the morning. I got a page for a little girl whose family chow tried to eat her." She pulled out a coke and held it up, "You want one?" She came to sit in the middle of the bed as she watched him, "Sorry about earlier, it's not like me."

"No thanks," he turned down the soda and pulled up a chair facing her his hand still on the photo album. "Surgery? Wow, Angel, I guess all that fun cramming really paid off." He looked her in the eyes, how he missed those green orbs. "It's so you, you know. Upset one second then chuck a spork through the head the next, some things last."

"I only stabbed you with a spork once." She laughed, "Look at the pictures I knew them from their first moments in life."

"I gathered from the first picture, Dixie, and Beau. Good names." He laughed about the Spork commend and rubbed the scar on his arm in memory, "I'll never forget that Spork," though he had a lot more these days. "They were so tiny when you first saw them how did the doggy mommy know them apart?"

"They had purple and yellow rickrack as collars every time they grew she just cut a new piece. She yawned and stretched her back. "I feel like I got hit by a truck."

"It's amazing what alcohol will do to an amateur," He said a bit dryly, but only meant to tease her.

"Leave me alone about the booze I guarantee it will never happen again." She finished packing her bags and putting them by the door. "So, Mr. Adler, what do you do? How have you been living? Did you get married? Kids?" She sat back down finally used to the fading buzz and swayed just a bit as she settled into the duvet again as she unbraided her hair brushing it out as she watched him. The long locks drifting around her like spun silk all the way to the bed.

"HE moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed now, "Interrogation I like where this is headed." He smiled cheekily at her as he thought for a long moment. "I'm still the useless maniac you knew from school." He shrugged watching her brush her hair, she really had come a long way to beautiful. Reaching out he caught a handful and brought it to his nose and sniffed softly, "Oh that's sexy smelling, what it is?" He climbed a little closer.

"You were never useless Halex. Though as I said, I had you pegged s the settle down and marry, family type." She got up again, "It's called Arabian Nights, this soap store up in Minnesota makes it... Seventh Sojourn." Angel took another bag of M&M's and went to stare out the window at the beautiful beach below. "Tell me about you, please."

He scratched his brow gently, "Well I've been traveling... East to West." He smiled at her how he just wanted to hold her. Be free like he had been so long ago.

"Doing what?" She took a drink of cola and watched him, her smile getting bigger.

He thought quickly to come up with the perfect thing. "Oil." He smiled and nodded, "Oil trade, crude mineral cargo shipping for the Emirates."

"Good business it pays well." She nodded coming back over to him as she sat down on the bed by him, taking his hand in hers. "Do you have a girlfriend at least? Women always flocked to you." She bit her lip watching him as she swayed less and less.

He stared at his hand in hers and slowly pulled away, it seemed so wrong to him, to hold something so pure, "Yes, she's in Dubai as we speak, redecorating."

She got up again and walked around the room, ordering a burger from room service and put in her breakfast order as she tried not to cry. She'd known better all these years and put him to death. He shouldn't affect her now.

He sighed watching her trying hard to take his thoughts away from the relationship he spoke of, which had been on the rocks for two months. He caught her hand and pulled her down beside him, "How's Illinois?" Her eyes lit up, she'd never mentioned where she was from.

"How did you know that? I mean it's boring and all and I miss my babies, but how did you know I was from Illinois now?"

"Your name tag, Chicago Plastic Surgery." He smiled as he lay back on the bed closing his eyes. He wanted to tell her so bad.

She nodded, "Ah didn't think of that... Hey, what ever happened to those German Sheppard's you had?" She smiled flipping through her puppy book, they were full grown now but she missed their puppy breath.

"Gone that was like twelve years ago. What made you chose labs?" He turned to look at her just as her hand touched his face and darted back and he smiled. Maybe she was fighting it to?

"Their loyalty." Was all she said turning back toward him, her hand stroking his soft goatee, tracing his face when he didn't yell at her. She enjoyed touching his face with her soft smile. "I don't scare you do I?"

Letting her fingers drop from his face she took the book and set on the bed by her and turned back over again, "Your dog was big and he liked jumping on me. I remember all the bruises and scratches when we'd when the group would go camping and he always insisted on staying by me. It was annoying but sweet." She crossed her arms before her and rest her face on them, reaching out to tug away stray hairs from his face.

He smiled at the bold touches and leaning against the bedpost while he crossed his legs. "I seriously need a haircut tomorrow, fringe has been poking my eyes lately."

"Don't, I like it." she ran her fingers over his chin. "I like this too facial hair is a good look on you." She let her fingers drop from his face once more, lingering on his lips before she realized what she had been doing and shrunk back, "I'm sorry."

"Thank you, dear," His smile widened at her fumbling. "It's all right really, I've been getting that from, women too often now. I think it's a habit." He chuckled, "I figure girls dig scruffy dogs."

Stammering for words because she had touched him and then being told she was like others which she wasn't she curled into a ball and didn't say anything, just listened to his breath as a tear slid down her cheek unseen. She was tired of being trapped into stereotypes she didn't belong in."

The smile faded from his face as he inches closer to her on the floor, placing a hand on her arm, "Angel, you all right?"

Her answer was a sudden flinch at his touch as her mind was becoming more focused again. She sniffed, "I'm okay. Really." She looked up at him. She knew his eyes probably told more than she would but she offered him a smile and stroked his hair, "I'm glad I saw you again."

Halex smiled and smoothed her hair in return, kissing her cheek and hugged her in a genuinely platonic embrace, "You've no idea how great it is to see you again."

"Please don't touch me," she offered as she pulled away from him.

"I'm sorry I hugged you, I didn't mean to be so overwhelming," Halex looked a bit hurt but wanted her to know he respected her boundaries he was nine years of a stranger.

"It wasn't you. Things happen, the wrong people get hurt," She shivered. "I've seen the ugly of the world far too often to not despise drugs or guns.... It's hard to live in a world that allows so much pain and anger."

For once, once perhaps in his nine years of living on the wrong side of the books, he sees himself as a criminal. He turned around heading to his suite and shut the door looking at the suitcase on the bed as he pressed his brow to the pane.


	6. Chapter Five

In the crisp early morning, air Angel fled the hotel and her muddled memories of the night before and got the last seat on the puddle jumper out. Not aware of the motives Halex had been on the island for, and not aware of what lay ahead of her as the sun rose in the east and brought her to her senses, her head hurt and she took a couple of aspirin from her purse and a bottle of water from the flight attendant as they moved toward Florida where she switched over to a bigger flight for Chicago where it was in the twenties, a balmy day for winter and she got off the plane still muddled but the headache was gone.

Tobias was waiting for her in luggage claim and smiled his overly pleasant smile as he stuck his hands in the pockets of his dress slacks and waited for her to collect her baggage. Driving her to the hospital, he parked in the parking garage as he let her read the case file. Once they were in a private space she tried to get out, but he kept the doors locked. His dark eyes dancing with mirth as he watched her struggle with the door.

"Tobias let me out I have to go help this girl," Angel said.

He lifted his finger to his lips shaking his head. "Not yet my pretty I have plans for your overconfident self." He slid across to her side of the car and took control of the situation, ten minutes later he unlocked the doors letting her out.

She ran for the hospital trying to stop the tears she fixed her clothes and tried to right her hair as she came to the sliding doors as they whooshed open she pulled out a handkerchief wiping away smeared makeup and tried to powder the bruises around her throat. She ducked into a staff bathroom before going to the elevator, righting everything she could just wiping her face clean of makeup.

She came into pediatrics, five minutes, later after stopping in the lounge to avoid Georgia as she came down the hall looking perfect as ever. She had to throw up, how she could love that vile monster, that monster she was trapped to be around for another five years via contract. It would be his word over his as she clung to the toilet bowl dry heaving eventually as she tried to calm down, then brushed her teeth quickly with the toothpaste and brush she kept in a baggy in her purse. She rounded into pediatrics talking to Sally, the day charge nurse for rooms 1110 to 1120.

"I'm here to see Mindy Peters this morning." Angel said trying to sound chirpy as Sally pulled her 'round her desk and looked her over, "What happened to you?" 

"Just tell me where the girl is the clock is ticking." She didn't mean to be snippy but she was and instantly regretted it as Sally backed off and handed her the chart, "Room 20. Her mom and dad are in there. It's bad, but you've obviously seen, bad, already today."

Angel sighed, "I'll talk to you after I do the consult and get a surgical suite going." She promised as she walked off on unsteady heels. Going down to the end of rabbit hall and she knocked on 20's door and stepped inside. "Mr. and Mrs. Peters, I'm Dr. High, I'm the plastic surgeon in charge of your daughter's case."

"We were told you were the best by Georgia, a tall blonde woman who was asking questions on anesthesia issues in the family to make sure Mindy was safe, she was from the Chicago Plastic Surgery."

Angel smiled, "That would be I and the other lady was my partner, Dr. Georgia Coates. I'll take good care of her and try to make her as beautiful as I can." Her phone rang in her pocket, "Excuse me a moment. I have to take this." She smiled and stepped outside taking the call, "Hi Georgia." 

Georgia smiled on the other end of the line. "You have Surgical Suite E starting in two hours for the Peters case, Jenny's your anesthesiologist." She hung up and left Angel to the patient. Angel toyed with the phone before putting it away.

She went back in to talk to the parents more about what she was going to have to do to their daughter as she assessed the wounds on her face, arms, and chest, "It looks like it will be a pretty simple first surgery. I'm guessing a few hours, maybe three, and four at the most. Then she'll be out of her first surgery. She'll be in recovery about an hour. Then she'll be back here. She'll stay about five days and then go home.

After the releases were signed and the parents filled out all the forms Angel went up to surgery and started her scrub in. Angel hummed Journey and she had the nurse put her mix cd into the player as they prepped Mindy. Angel stepped into the suite. Mindy had been pretty, but not vainly so and after four hours the major hurdles were out of the way, she would heal for three weeks ad she would re-evaluate her then and do the next surgery in her suite at the clinic, the girl would have minimal scaring over time as long as the parents followed the program and she scrubbed out and went to talk to her parents before heading up to the nursery, holding babies always calmed her down and eased her sorrows on hard cases.

She slid into the nursery and was handed a little boy and kissed his brow as she rocked him and fed him singing to him until she felt good enough to go home and found Georgia plastering a fake smile on her lips as she tried to look her best friend in the eyes as they drove the twenty minutes to Angel's house. Angel decided then she would switch to a driving service, she couldn't handle being in the car as Georgia. She hurt just thinking about talking to her.

"You going to tell me what's wrong?" She asked as she dropped the torn shirt from scrub in on the floor, "Whatever happened I am your best friend." She followed Angel into her modest two-story home.

Angel scooped up the shirt. "You don't want to know. It has to do with Tobias. He. He attacked me." She started to cry again and Georgia just stared at her, walking out in anger that she would say such a thing and drove off as Dixie and Beau hit the locked doggie door in frustration and she stumbled tear-blind to the door and lifted the piece of metal letting them in as she sunk to the floor to sob. Beau immediately going on alert as he wound around her kissing her and rubbing against her as Dixie fetched the remains of her tennis ball and tried to distract her with a game. Angel just pet them until the tears ran their length and dried on her cheeks.

A few days later she went back to work, her pager on her hip and black scrubs over a white long sleeve tee to hide the bruises, as Annette their receptionist stopped to talk to her and slid her a bottle, "I know what he did but this will take the pain away, just try it, you'll like it." She smiled as she went back out to open the clinic to the rich and strippers for Tobias as Angel took several new cases and went over follow-ups on several patients she had done surgery for. Leaving that night she fingered the bottle in her pocket and got in the car service town car and headed home. Georgia had only talked business with her and Tobias ignored her like she was a plague on life. How fun life was going to be now.

When Angel got home she pulled the orange bottle out of her pocket and set it on the bathroom sink as she got ready to bathe, running a deep hot bath she stared at the medicine bottle with a label of a dragon on it instead of prescription information and she twisted off the lid and poured the pills out on the counter. They looked like metroprolol and she sighed as she fingered them, they couldn't be much maybe ten milligrams of whatever it was. She didn't know much about medications save for her practice usage, but she took two, putting the rest back in the bottle and slid into the tub. Resting her head back on the rolled up towel as she let the candles flicker around her in beautiful rainforest scents, the plants loving the steam from the tub as she started to doze off as her heart picked up and soon she was wired and the pain was gone, but everything looked weird. It was a whole new world, and Tobias was a last thought as her body swam with warm, mixed emotions.

What had Annette given her as she felt the rush and her body was light and limp? A few moments later she felt elated and divine as she made it to bed and curled up with the new feelings coursing through her and it began: her decline into the fallen ones. A fall that would teach her a few things about her life the maddening highs, she'd be up for days before she found sleep and other days she'd sleep for longer periods. She'd be happy-go-lucky one moment and an anger burning dragon the nest while she took excellent care of Beau and Dixie. She stopped taking care of herself. When her bottle of happy ran out she just called Annette at the office and got the name of what she had tasted and over the next few months figured out better ways to take it as she danced with the dragon, avoided Tobias, and learned to forget her friendship with Georgia. The cleaning service cleaned her house, the landscapers took care of the yard, and she took care of her babies. The patients the world went round as she found herself an addict and didn't care as long as it didn't affect her life, until the day the letter came in the mail to the high school reunion.

She sat down at the table and filled out the ten-page questionnaire she didn't mind answering the questions about life, what she'd been up to. She got to the family questions. Are you married? Do you have children? She felt an ache in her chest. She'd planned on being married hell she wanted the whole two point, five kids. She sighed and went to the desk and got a picture to pop in with it and wrote her check for her place at the resort in Tucson. She was going home... she would have to go and visit her mother. "Mama, I'm coming home," she sang out of nowhere walking the letter out to the mailbox, Dixie on her leash as Beau watched from the driveway. She'd really done it. She was going back to Magnolia... Well Tucson, maybe a drive to Magnolia. She sighed and took Dixie around the front yard with a smile.

"We don't get out much anymore do we baby, Mommy's sorry." She stroked her fingers through her fur and went to get her brush and Beau and his leash as well. Soon they were in the soft grass in the front yard playing ball and brushing out their fur. "When they were finished with the brushing they headed back inside. Never noticing the black sedan across the street that watched her and was taking pictures. Leaving once they went inside.


	7. Chapter Six

Little did she know that "yes," to a simple invitation was going to be a change in her life and a swift kick in her ass that she needed after her world had imploded thanks to Tobias. She went through her closet packing not so stiffly, slacks and skirts, flirty tops, her bikini, jogging suit, sneakers, sandals, and several nice dresses, with sensible heels and called the car service to take her to the airport on this muggy, humidity strewn Wednesday morning. She was ready as she could be for this reunion.

Georgia had been kind enough to offer to watch the house and dogs again. She was coming around to being a friend again and Angel had accepted her kindness, knowing Dixie and Beau liked her. The car came and soon she was on her way back to Tucson, Arizona. A three-hour flight and she would be back to where her nightmares began. She sighed on the flight and sipped her juice. Reading a good book as they cruised from Chicago to Tucson packing her book away as they landed in the Old Pueblo.

Pulling up to the resort she got out of the cab, paying the driver as she headed inside, fumbling with her bags, until the door closed on her dress bag and left her fighting it with no help until she heard the flimsy material tear, "Damn it all," she cursed! She threw the bag down and tripped over the other bags, stumbling to the counter with a sour look on her complexion, "Dr. Angel High, for the Magnolia Reunion." She said getting out her credit card and Id to check in and smiled.

Getting the keycard and folder she turned to struggle with her bags. Finally getting everything, including the destroyed dress bag she headed for the elevator and went up four flights to her room, overlooking the parking lot and the beautiful sunset that would come and unpacked, popping a pill and chewing the nasty tasting thing and sat on the bed closing her eyes waiting for the mind-numbing rush to kick in.

Halex had arrived early in the morning sat in the lobby reading the morning paper and turned around peeking over the headrest of the chair at the sound of her bags hitting the floor, a smile spreading over his rugged features, the smile brightening more seeing Angel. Slowly he got up from his seat and silently trotted behind her, noting her door as it closed in his face and he knocked on it. "Angel?" He called hoping she'd answer as he heard her inside.

Angel opened the door, her green eyes looking up at the well-dressed man. Confusion in her eyes. "Do I know you?"

"Obviously Dr. High, It's only been a year. Can I come in?" His large hand rested on the door as he stared down at her.

Her brows furrowed as she stepped back, waving him in, "How do you know my name?" She asked as she went back to unpacking, taking her toiletries into the bathroom and setting them out, the orange bottle tucked in with several other bottles of medication.

He lowers himself into a chair in the corner, "You seriously need to see someone about your memory loss, sweets, and I don't think I got myself a haircut since the day I left the Bahamas."

"Uh, no. I remember everyone I need and trust me I would remember a face like yours." she stopped realizing he said the Bahamas... St. Bart's and the night she couldn't remember before her flight home.

He took in the luggage, "moving in or do you bring your patients with you?" He asked with a chuckle as he looked out at her horrible view. "You glad to be back in Tucson then?"

"This trip I did bring one case with me, have surgery in the morning, an old friend was in a bad car accident." She tucked her bags one inside of the others and stowed them in the bottom of the closet. "Why do you know so much about me when I can't even recall your name or how I met you?"

He stands up, pulling a hand through his curly brown hair and kisses her cheek thinking of one thing that might jog her memory, "I'll see you downstairs at five, Kitty." He left as quietly as he had come, leaving her staring at the door.

"Only one man in her life had ever called her Kitty, and it had been Halex Adler, but no way had that man been her Halex when he'd left her he was fit but messy. The man that had been inside her room was older than their years. He seemed old and waylaid, but so sure of himself he was cocky. She looked at the clock and sighed pulling into dark maroon scrubs and grabbing a small bag as she rushed out and down into the lobby, not seeing Sara Norton she knocked her into a couch as she yelled after the taxi to wait as she slid in going to the hospital.

Halex had sorted out Sara with a smile, hugging her as the young woman recognized him and laughed, "Halex you jerk. How have you been?" The buxom brunette asked as she laughed, a bellboy following her with a cart of luggage and Halex arched his brow, "so not just you then?" Sarah laughed, "Oh heavens no, my husband too. I married David Boren."

"So Sara Boren then?" He smiled, Sara had been the cheerleader that slummed to the ranks of their group and at one time had been one of his many girlfriends. "Well it's good to see you. I need to go for a bit but I'll see you at the formal dinner." He excused himself and headed out himself, driving away from the resort in a sleek black premier 4509 Bentley.

Across town Angel was sitting on a stool working on her best friend's slashed face, she'd kill the son of a bitch who did this to her. "Rain I know you hear me somewhere in there. I'm sorry we fought and I'm sorry I didn't trust you about Tobias. You were right. He's total slime and if I could get away from him I would. I'm going to make you good as new." She smiled as she continued to work in dozens of the tiniest stitches over her face and neck. Scrubbing out at three she left to wait for Rain to wake up and they hugged, "I'll check in on you tomorrow beautiful."

Rain smiled, "What happened to you? You're so thin and tired looking." She cuddled into her blankets, "Thank you for coming to be my doctor. I didn't want anyone else." She yawned and hit the clicker on her pain meds and closed her eyes, her multi-hued pink hair was pulled back in a French braid, her nurse had been so kind to her. Angel looked at the clock, it was four and it would take her forty-five minutes to get back to the hotel, "Shit! I got to go, but I'll see you tomorrow I have that school reunion thing and I think Halex is waiting for me." She kissed her hand and smiled, "When I come back I'll bring your nail case and do your nails they'll be pretty again." She turned and left rushing back to the resort and as far away as she could get from seeing her best friend hurt so badly, and the questions she had.

When Angel got back, she slid into the sleek black gown and heels, pulling her hair up and twisting it into a knot as she did her makeup. She wanted to look spectacular and as she put her makeup on her memories came flooding back to high school and her frizzy hair that could never be tamed and makeup never touched her face, she could never get it on just right. It had taken Rain all summer freshman year to tame beauty into her and her eyes filled with tears again before she headed downstairs, Freezing at the ballroom entrance staring at too many faces of the past.

He was there as though waiting. His back stiff, his hands jammed into his pants pockets. She bit her lip, a nervous habit, begging him to turn around yet praying he wouldn't', "Oh Halex," she whispered. "Why, oh why, did you show up..." Her eyes brimmed with tears and she started to turn around her eyes still set on his back.

Halex had stiffened as if he knew she was there. Slowly he turned around smiling, "Right on time Cinderella." He chuckled and stepped up to her, "Come in and enjoy the party." He took her elbow and re-introduced her around to many people he had shared friendship with at some point in high school. She hardly recognized or knew any of them. Angel just spent most of the time trying to catch her breath, wiping damp hands against the black silk of her dress, she wasn't a nervous person, what was happening to her? What made tonight so different, it was Wednesday, the full party didn't start until Friday, and then suddenly Rain was on her mind again

"Halex... please it's too much I don't remember hardly any of these people!" She blinked looking around seventy-five of them in all, and most of them had spouses or were affianced. But she found herself leaning against Halex feeling alone even though he was there, safe yet afraid. Tobias had done a number on her brain and her fingers dug lightly into Halex's arm. Stepping up on his toes to look more easily in his face as she sighed. Her arm wrapped tightly around his. "All these people scare me, I wasn't well liked."

"Let your hair down kitten," He pulled her closer and reached up and pulls the pins from, her French twist the thick fiery red hair tumbled down her shoulders and bobbed around her waist and bottom. "Halex... I'm... I'm not used to it being free I always keep it up close. She fought hard to keep it uptight, losing the battle as he began to speak in his deep rumble.

"There now you look more approachable rather than passing as a stone cold bitch." He said against her ear as he ran his hands through her strawberry colored, waist length hair. Practically shivering at its silky feel. Angel smile at him unsure, his hand moves to rest in the small of her back as he leads her out to the ballroom floor. She happily walked with him to the dance floor and wavered on her heels as she moved forward to kiss him softly, letting her inhibitions fail.

As Halex moved with her in their corner she started to relax as her hand rest against his chest, and her other tucked in his hand and she smiled up at him, "So what is it you ended up doing?" She asked as he spun her out and drew her back in against his chest and he took a deep breath. "Breathe, eat, sleep," he smiled.

She chuckled as she stared up into his face, "Your trust fund wasn't that big was it," she asked as she settled back into his embrace, "I mean this shirt alone is a three hundred dollar affair."

"Well." He stared as he swallowed turning her a few more times before he lifted her up slightly from the floor and sets her on a stool and kneels down to remove the straps from her ankles and took her shoes off kicking them to the side, before lifting her up slowly and sets her down on the tops of his feet, bringing them closer than ever as he kissed her cheek, "The last time we met, I told you I help the companies who drill oil from the source.. The Emirate Empire in Dubai."

She laughed, "I have not seen you since graduation... ten whole years." She tucked her head against his chest. "Last I hear you were with your Uncle..." The song changed to a slower song and she slid her arms around his neck. "You will have to tell me over strawberries and champagne one early morning, and tell me about this me you swear you to have met last year." She traced his lips with her finger smiling as she looked up into his dark eyes just happy to have her Halex back, if even for a moment as Halex slid his hands down to her waist, swaying them staring back into her green eyes, slowly his lips turned into a smile again, "Strawberries and Champagne eh, Someone has become an advance flirt."

"Now why would you say that?" She slowly swayed in her body to the soft beat of a Def Leopard Ballad.

Halex's heart nearly stopped with her so near, the scent of her perfume soft and intoxicating as he closed his eyes, "Well I don't know... I guess... I wouldn't expect that coming from a good Catholic girl like you." He stammered but survived as he looked down into her eyes again as she bit her lip.

Angel laughed lifting her head back up, "You, my dear, Mr. Adler, Are you planning any audacious stunts this time around or will your nose stay intact? Being a good Catholic girl doesn't say much about me these days. I've fallen from the Church this last year. Now if you'll excuse me I'll be right back." She stepped off his feet and headed towards the bathrooms. Leaving him dumbfounded as he watched her walk away from him.

She slid past Sara Boren again and she was with a group of the cheerleaders three of which looked close to term in pregnancy, their husbands talking in the corner as she finally got to the bathroom. Making sure it was empty she locked the door and set her purse on the shelf attached just under the mirror and dug out one of her orange bottles, setting out two of those tiny pink pills she crushed them with the bottle and despite sudden knocking on the door she inhaled deeply all the contents before cleaning up her make-up and trying to sort her hair after flipping the door unlocked as she scrunched curls and smiled as she was sneered at by several girls.

Gone for what seemed like only a few minutes to her, she returned with a broader smile as she offered Halex a hand to return to the dance floor. "Ten years ago they hated me for being frizzy-haired, and super smart and dressing in second-hand clothes. Tonight they hate me for being pretty, wearing designer clothes and being a doctor.. Will they ever be happy do you think?"

Halex takes her hand and lets her up on his shoes again as she smiles lifting her arms around his neck despite it being an upbeat song now. "That was quick," he chuckles against her cheek, "and by the way, I am too old and too large to put on high sky stunts, and I'm beginning to appreciate my nose."

"That is a good thing for it is a wonderfully handsome nose at that." She reached up a hand and ran her fingers over it and then let them slide over his lips, wiping at her own nose a moment later before she lay her head back on his shoulder, letting the music guide her body. "It is good to have you back if even for a moment, my old friend."

Halex smiles, a hand lifting to smooth his fingers down her long , mane of fiery red locks as he moves their feet around to the sway of the music, leading her lithe form, "Angel I..." His sentence punctuated by the vibration and chime of his phone in his jacket pocket as he excuses himself, walking toward the balcony. "Ileana, what NOW!" He said roughly as his voice and form drift away from her hearing as he strays, a hand raking through his own thick curls in frustration as he begins to pace back and forth outside, holding the tiny cell phone to his ear.

'Angel watched him, wondering who could make him that upset as she began to wipe at her nose, pulling back surprised to find blood there and she gathered her shoes and purse fleeing upstairs to her room, getting ice as she stood in her bathroom holding the ice to her nose. She dumped the contents of her purse on her bathroom counter as she looked for the cream she had in there that would help staunch the flow of blood, finding it she doused a tissue in it and slid it into place leaving it there for a few minutes, "I have to stop this," she knew she wouldn't and shook her head, "But it feels so good." she told herself angrily throwing the contents of the orange bottle down the toilet and flushing it, "No more." She washed her face and reapplied her make-up before heading backstairs finding him still missing she headed for the balcony, looking around she found him leaning against the far railings looking out over the lake, watching its shimmer in the moonlight.

"What troubles you my friend." she said softly as she touched his arm, not expecting him to jerk the way he did, as though he was suddenly on fire.

Halex forces a smile to his lips as his dark eyes settled on her puffy nose and frowned, "Oh hey now. It was just a call from home... one of those low, lows you know I'm sure. Have you been crying again? Your nose is all swollen."

"No, no I don't cry much, I had to go up and take a call in my room and I ran into my door." She lied, to Halex, she felt like a monster. His eyes followed her, his hand grasping her chin tilting her head up, spotting a single missed clot amongst the freckles that splattered her nose and, "What happened to you?"

"I told you, I ran into my door. Please just drop the subject." She looked about ready to cry and turned her face away the little bit he'd let her.

He continued to study her face, she had pinpointed pupils, her flushed skin and he growled. "Uh-huh. You know you're not making me happy." His accent went deeper the more upset he became, "You took something and you're going to tell me what it was before we go back inside because you are the last person I will be around that ever uses. There are some really bad things out there Kitty."

"Some really bad things happened and have been happening ever since I was in the Bahamas, fifteen minutes after I got off that plane the Angel you met in the Bahamas died... My boss hates me he made my best friend hate me and I'm trapped in a war zone, so a friend turned me on to these little pink pills, all I know is they come with a dragon on the label, thirty ago, no dosing instructions, nothing tells you about them. But when I take them all the pain goes away and I feel so good I work better, I work longer, I work stronger." She told him as she sagged into him.

"No kitty, no kitty no," He crushed her to his jacket as he stroked her hair, "No, no, no!" He hated himself in that moment more than he hated anything else he'd ever done. "Oh, baby you can't be doing this to yourself that drug is the worst out there. It's made to become addicted, slowly kill its user. It's not a party drug. It's meant to clog your arteries, stress them into exploding on themselves. To eat your heart alive if you can use it long enough. How long have you been using?"

She looked up at him with her tear-swollen face and sniffled, "Why do you care so much all of the sudden? She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest, and tried not to cry.

He hefted her up in his arms carrying her to her room, "We're fixing this now, and you have to work on this hard." She nodded wiping her tears on his jacket as she moved with him staying close to keep from hitting any of the walls. Struggling with her clutch she got the room key out for him and kissed his neck, 'Hurry Halex."

"My patients. I still have to take care of them. Her chin started to wobble again as she cried into his jacket. The tears finally flowing as she sobbed, relentlessly. Her brain lingering on how much she loved him. She just felt so sick, and he was soothing.


	8. Chapter Seven

When Rain woke up Angel was curled up in a recliner in the corner of her room. She looked so frail and ill, and that made her angrier than she'd been in a long time, "Oh Angel what's happened to you?" She frowned deeply even though it hurt and sighed. Whoever made her Angel look like this was going to pay dearly. She bit her lip and lifted herself to full sitting even though her body felt like it was going to explode in pain from her broken ribs and well-bruised torso.

Rain sighed and watched her, the familiar makeup case sitting by the recliner and she smiled as she threw balled up tissues at her. "Hey, sleepy head wake up." She called to Angel who finally stirred once the box was nearly empty and she rubbed her face with a yawn, "Your up. Finally!" Rain smiled at her as she shifted around on the bed watching her best friend as she yawned again. "Come talk to me."

"Yes, I'm up," Angel smiled as she eyed Rain's breakfast and made a face, "Ewww. Hospital food." She pulled out a cardboard box and opened it the room filling with the smell of blueberry bagels and she spread cream cheese all over one and handed the warm bread to Rain who ate it happily. "I have to go away for a while Rain, but I swear I'll be back an old colleague of ours is going to watch over you while I'm away," she shifted it was hard to meet Rain's eyes but she knew she had to and she took a hard swallow.

"You were right about Tobias, Rain He's bad in so many ways. So very many ways. So cruel and cold and callous. "She began to shiver and wrapped her arms tightly around herself to try and keep the shudders at bay as she wiped a furious hand across her eyes. "He's done bad things... unthinkable things to me over the last year. While Georgia is away, or out of the office, so she doesn't believe me and she has started this cold burning hate for me. She thinks I'm trying to break my contract and I'm not her husband is just evil." She lost it and started to cry.

Rain pulled her into the bed with her stroking her hair, "My sweet Angel, no one should be hurting you." Rain said quietly as she hummed to her as her heart broke that anyone would ever try to hurt the gentle loving soul that was her best friend. "Angel, we'll get you through this. Georgia is smart, she'll figure it out. Surely if he's turned his attention to you he is either more dominate in the bedroom now or stone cold rotten. I always liked Georgia. Now tell me what's really bugging you, there's something deeper too I can tell and it's eating you away, soon there will be nothing but bones left."

"Our secretary got me hooked on this drug it frees me, numbs everything, and it's so very addictive, but I don't hurt when I'm on it... and now Halex is back, he's at the reunion and he's very angry with me. For some stupid reason I got very honest with him, " she sniffed, "And he's very angry I'm on the drug he knows so much about it and he wants to help me get clear of it and I told him I would... That tonight we'll start that I had to check on you and see how you were doing.. And here I am, hiding, but he promised me freedom from The Dragon."

Rain listened and hugged her tightly. "It's better than being locked up in a detox center Angel, it really is Halex though? I remember late night ice cream binges talking about him making up stories like the runaway prince called home. I think that was my favorite tale of the great disappearing Halex stories. Don't get in too deep with him again, I see only pain in that future." She said kissing her temple and brushing lose hairs behind her ear, "I wish you'd let me cut your hair, and thank you for being honest and for trying to get help, but if you need to go to Palo Altos you'll go, promise me. It's the best place out here they cater to movie stars and sports stars."

"I swear," Angel said as she kissed her temple in return. She brushed her hair back and put it up in a braid before helping Rain move to the recliner and moved the table over as she got out everything she needed to fix Rain's nails and began to work on them as they talked about Rain's newest boyfriend and what he was like. She got out the bottles of chemicals for the acrylics and slowly she added clear tips while rain sorted through the colored acrylics and picked a lovely blue with pale pink for the rest and Angel smiled. Starting the process of removing and reapplying her tips and cutting them short to a nice workable length the mink brush and tip edger's working well as she worked for two hours, adding fancy artwork and the backfill, rhinestones in her ring nails and soon enough she as propping her friends nails in the machine that set the topcoat into perfection. "There you go sissy, perfect as always."

"I wish everything was able to be fixed so simply. Tell me honestly how many surgeries to fix my face?"

"Probably about three the most work high up on your cheek and your nose, there will only be tiny white scars around your lips. They say the guy that ran the light at Kolb and Tanque Verde was killed on impact, he wasn't wearing a seatbelt. But his insurance is covering all this and your aftercare and PT for your legs and back so you can hopefully get back to delivering babies soon."

"I will deliver them again, I can't be angry about missing a few children, the mothers understand and I will be introducing my close to terms to my partner Friday. So tell me when all this with Tobias started."

"The morning I got back from St. Bart's and the Symposium Tobias hurt me, he choked me and struggled with me until I just lay there telling him, no but he had his way with me. That was the same day I started taking Dragon. It hid the pain and made me feel so very good. So I kept taking it, right now I'm playing which bill do I skip paying to afford the pills? Halex says he's known people like this, on it so badly that he'll make sure I get off He promised, Rain, he promised and I believe him."

Rain was gritting her teeth over the admission and she growled soft and low letting her best friend know how mad she was. "I'll see that bastard dead."

"I know you would Rain. I know it! But for now you got to heal and he hasn't said anything else since I didn't turn him in. He just sneaks in touches and Georgia knows, he tells her I bring it on."

"Then Georgia is blind or hurting just as badly. One day someone will take his life out and he will be justified in his domestic situations and you will have Georgia back. That would make you happy yes?"

Angel nodded, "I can't lie, It would make me very happy." She smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. "I just want everything to be good again. I can't stand the pain all of this has caused. I don't understand what I did wrong. What I let happen. Why was I such a fool, "she asked? She stood up and walked across the room.

Rain shifted pulling her hands-free of the contraption, "First of all you've done nothing wrong. Secondly, you have no control over him showing up... maybe its fate."

"Fate? My Fate is not that good nor bad. This is torture, I am trapped in a hotel with the man I have loved my entire life. But he never saw me like that, still, doesn't, I think I'm am in ye old friend zone forever." She sighed and slid to the floor crying softly as Rain sighed, "Get over here so I can hold you." She nodded getting up and settling onto the chair with Rain, letting the woman stroke her hair and call her softly. Bringing her back around as she looked up at the clock wiping her eyes with her long sleeves. "I'm sorry Rain."

"It is okay sweetheart, tears clear the way, sometimes, so you can see well." They brought her food tray in and smiled at them.

"Back to my bed my dearie and time for your friend to go it's four o'clock now and you'll be getting your sleeping meds soon," The nurse said as she helped Rain into her bed and smiled, "You'll get a bath tonight. But not a shower as well. So tell your friend," Rain cut in, "She's my doctor."

"Well tell your doctor goodbye and you can see her tomorrow. I promise you." Rain nodded and looked at the tray, carefully lifted the lid and smiled, "Oh thank god Diana's meatloaf." Angel chuckled and kissed Rain's brow and smiled at the nurse, "I'm going to write you a stronger sedative before I go and I will see you tomorrow."

Angel wrote the order, putting it into the computer before she scuttled out to her waiting car and took the drive back to the resort quietly thinking about what was going on in her life, clutching her shaky hands in her lap as forty minutes later they pulled up at the front doors and she climbed out tipping the driver and headed inside to change into a pair of dress slacks and a soft silk blouse and went in search of Halex out on the balcony of the banquet room they were giving a picture show and talking about memories. She found him and slicked her hands down her shirt and slacks and walked into the cool evening.

He started out at the moons shimmering reflection on the lake thinking, His brow was creased and he held his left hand to his mouth as he watched out at the city lights in the distance, he was deep in thought, so deep he didn't notice when Angel came to stand beside him until she spoke, "Halex," and he jerked toward her that hand at his lips knotted in her silk shirt which startled her and she rocked back on her heels and he pulled her into a hug.

"Besides me and your muddled thoughts what else troubles you Halex," she asked from his warm embrace. He looked down at the petite woman in his arms, "I hate myself, you know. I hate myself for leaving you behind." He hugged her closer. "I wanted so badly to take you with me. I begged my parents to go back after you." He shifted again, still holding on to her, looking down at her face. "I really missed it here in the states. The people have been very," he thought a long moment, "considerate."

"You could always stay, you know, I'm sure there are lots of reasons you would want to," she put herself out there on her sleeve. She turned her back to the railing, pressed into it as she leaned against the brick and iron. Her lose hair blowing in the soft Arizona breeze. She stifled an uncomfortable laugh and kissed his cheek. She turned back fully to face Halex, just watching that strong facade he put on for everybody, as the sounds of the party winding down faded around them.

"To bed, I go." Angel chirped as she swayed brushing her lips against his cheek and began to walk away, her belly starting to churn.

Halex stayed a moment, wavering on his soft souled feet. For some reason, her simple peck on his cheek drove his blood to boil and burn and there was a jolt of electricity straight to his heart. No other woman gave him this reaction, not even Ileana.

He cleared his throat and turned to lean on the railing, his hand on her waist, "For ten years I did not know If I truly had a place to call home, a place with someone I could come home to; But. I do know this land has given me all the best a pit stop can offer. I don't belong anywhere."

Angel shifted in the pale light as she watched him and pulled him a little closer, "Halex everyone has a place. Don't ever tell yourself that isn't true. This is the place dreams are realized," she straightened out his necktie, "This evening before dinner I was helping a friend rescue her chance at being normal again after she had been cut up. If not for me she would have had a daily reminder of Tucson's traffic wars out there. She'd was driving home from work and a man high as a kite ran the red light and plowed into her. She'sbeen beat up pretty bad but luckily he had good insurance and we've been piecing her back together. These drug addicts, they completely leave behind their hapless victims, the ones by circumstance!" She sighed and looked down. "I've become a slave to a drug and it's eating me inside out." She started to cry, lowering her head his cool shirt letting it wick away her tears, "I had no happiness in the last year, but at least now I have a sort of serenity. I like dragon, it's powerful. It burns a long time and eats away the pain till I don't care what happens to me anymore."

He drapes a shoulder gently stroking her silky hair. He'd witnessed firsthand what happened to Dragon's wrath. How they died sprawled out, left behind to rot, young corpses refused by their families, it was truly his own worst nightmare that he would let it happen to his closest friends and family. Maybe now he had a real reason to stay.

"You promised me you'd let me help you before it killed you," He shifted scooping her into a hug and holding her tight against his chest. He'd carried her to her room, helped to settle her in and now he held her in an embrace he was afraid to release.

"I'm about to be sick," she squirmed free and ran the few steps to the bathroom, "fumbling with the door handle, opening it a moment later and lunging for the toilet bowl. His large frame filled the doorway and he was quickly beside her holding her hair back as she sobbed and retched, "That's a girl get it all out."

She sobbed louder, "I hate this."

"Soon as your empty back to bed and back to water drinking. It will help flush your system but somehow I think you already knew that. "He heard her say okay somewhere between retches and sobbed again. When she was finally through he scooped her up again, carrying her back to bed and gave her another glass of water. "Drink up beautiful. At least eight cups though I'd prefer the whole pitcher. She retched a few more times into a trashcan, the sound of her pain breaking his heart but when she lay limp against the sheets he stroked her cheek with a calloused finger.

Halex kissed her brow as she snuggled into the duvet, "It doesn't matter what I'm here for, you are my friend, and I'm going to help," he told her softly.

She smiled weakly at him and pointed to the open suitcase. "Can I please put on some pajamas?" She blushed knowing he'd have to find them and she had two pair in there. A simple cotton number in pink polka dots and a racy number did up in lace and blood red satin.

Halex nodded and smiled pulling out the racy number first, "Not what I ever pictured you in." He stuffed it back in the case and dug again coming up with the sensible pair, "Ah much better, definitely the Angel I know."

He walked back to the edge of the bed, helping her up, "Here Angel," He smiled and walked into the bathroom letting her change as he filled a beautiful crystal pitcher with water and a matching glass with ice as the medicine bottles caught his eye and he slowly turned them one by one, Clonazepam, Valium, Temazepam, and the last bottle spun on his fingers and the picture of the dragon appeared and he angrily opened it dumping those familiar pink pills in the toilet bowl and flushed watching the pink swirl around until it was all gone.

When he finally came out she was changed and snuggled in the sheets propped against the headboard and sipping the first glass of water that he exchanged for the crystal and smiled. Her fingers put the glass down and picked up her hairbrush and went back to brushing her hair methodically. The ginger strands floating down to her arm in a silky storm and he stood still as death watching it float. He swallowed hard. When she sensed him watching she slowly stopped and looked up at him with her vivid green eyes and he nearly lost himself as he worked to find his voice. But she spoke first. "So nothing but water in my system till lunch tomorrow and lots of it?" He nodded.

He stopped and started several times before he could find his voice. "All right drink this all up and let me see your cell phone." He was several conversational steps behind.

She took the heavy glass and dug out her phone handing it to him. Angel drank as he programmed his number into her phone as he watched her drink, "This is my personal number if you need anything and I'm still not right here call and I will be."

She finished the glass of water and poured another as she took her phone back and shimmied down in the bed.

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving the hotel, but I do have some personal business to attend to." He stroked her cheek and kissed her brow and headed out to his meeting.


	9. Chapter Eight

As Halex closed the door dread filled his heart. She thought his kind a monster. Maybe he was. He shoved his hands in his pockets and went to his suite that felt like a shoebox compared to her suite, but maybe it was the four extra men now crowded into the suite. He changed clothes, looking into the mirror as he slowly buttoned each dark button on the black silk shirt he had settled for, for the exchange. When he was done, he pulled out a second suitcase and popped it open, recounting the orange prescription bottles with the dragon stamps on their labels and came back with three hundred, he was looking at sixty thousand dollars' worth of perfectly manufactured heaven. He spits on the floor for thinking such a thing it was death in a bottle simple as that and he hated pushing it. But the money is what he loved. He snapped the case closed and headed for the elevator, pushing the top floor button and hummed quietly, his large hand clutching the leather handle to the case.

When the elevator bell rang its horse cry, he looked up and waited for the mirrored doors to slide open. Swinging his left hand in time with the case in his right as he stepped in. Humming still he waited for the doors to open again and he stepped off looking at the brightly lit hallway and walked to the only room on the left, lifting his large hand he set to knocking on the door. 

He waited, when it opened, he stepped inside and nodded to the men there and sat his black leather case on the bed, he popped it open and showing the contents to the gentleman who nodded, as he smiled a knowing smile, "Three hundred bottles, Sixty thousand dollars, transfer the money now." He said gruffly as the man showed him his laptop and transferred the money.

Halex shifted as he nodded, "Thank-you, It's done." Then he left the case on the bed, turning, "Thank you again Mr. Braylor, your business is always appreciated." He walked out leaving the case and its evil contents. It wasn't the first time he'd dealt with Mr. Braylor, nor would it be his last, he thought, rubbing his scruff covered chin, sixty thousand dollars was nothing to sniff at. The money guaranteed each of his men ten-thousand dollars.

A pain traveled through his body at the thought of Angel and her skinny form living off these pills and he turned, shutting the door behind him, he walked down the ornate carpet twisting and turning in southwest colors as he slid back into the elevator and stared at his reflection in the mirrored walls as the lights clicked down to the third floor. So much was running through his mind, mostly about Angel and how he could save her from the hell that had become her life. She'd been through so much in her young years.

He stepped out of the elevator and walked toward his room, letting himself in, he pulled out of his Armani jacket and kicked out of his shoes as he lay across the bed and picked up the phone and dialed reception asking for Angel's room, listening for her to pick up and got nothing and assumed she was just asleep, he would be at this point, hanging up he pulled out of his socks and shirt.

He opened the door when there was a knock and Moab, Midian, Mikhail, and Kolya all bumbled in, "You're not safe Halex it's time to go home," Mikhail rumbled in his deep voice. Watching his boss and looking around the small room as he shifted, "What's going on?"

Halex shifted, "I can't go home yet, give me till Sunday I'll get you rooms around mine." He was standing in the middle of his beloved men, his brothers, if you will, "Moab check the bank transfer, will you?"

Moab quietly pulled out his laptop checking everything as his fingers flew over the keys, "We have it. He looked over the laptop at his boss, and then his brother, Midian, "Sixty-thousand dollars." He rubbed his fingers together, "All and all, not a bad day at all. Now you can enjoy yourself, boss."

Mikhail nodded, "You do stupid things over women, I hope this one is worth it, Boss." Halex glowered at his closest friend and watched him with a hard look, smiling when Mikhail took a step back holding up his hands, "sorry boss."

"She is my best friend Mikhail and she is hooked on the dragon I have to get her off of it before it kills her," Halex said as his chest hurt at his own words, he couldn't go soft now, not in front of them.

Mikhail sighed, "Then we will stay." He stepped outside the door quietly to watch over the door, Halex was his best friend and boss, and he would risk his life to protect him, he'd never seen him get jammed up over a woman, and now he risked it all. Mikhail, much like Halex, was tall and toned with a sharp eye for his Bosses decisions. He stood quietly, his hands tucked in the small of his back and he just listened. He didn't like the US and getting out of here would make him happiest. He fidgeted as a redheaded woman came his way and he swallowed he recognized her even in a pair of tight jeans and a loose tank top.

"Ma'am, Mr. Adler is busy right now, he can't see you." He gently grabbed her arm to turn her around as Halex could be heard inside and Midian came scurrying out making her eyes go wide, "Are you all brick walls," she asked. Angel pulled out of his grasp, "Just let him know I was here, my name is Angel, he'll know me I'll be down in the recreation room at the party I can't just sit alone. It's not helping my nerves," or my state of mind she added silently as she watched Mikhail.

Angel turned and walked away down the southwest mottled carpet heading back to the elevator swaying her hips as she vanished into the elevator the doors closing just as Halex opened the door, "Who were you talking to," he asked as he brushed a hand through his mass of curls as Mikhail turned around and smiled, "A Miss Angel came to leave word that she couldn't take being cooped up and went to the recreation room party I believe she called it." Halex came up to him, looking into his eyes, "Mikhail if that woman ever comes to me you let her in, she is my one and only and I am trying to save her from herself."

"Yes boss," Mikhail said as he swallowed and went back to his post by the door.

He clenched his hands and went back into his room tossing through his suitcase he finally found a crisp pair of jeans and a long-sleeve tee shirt and went to change into them as the men all came back in, except Mikhail. Halex pulled his hair back in a ponytail and turned to look up at Moab and Midian while Kolya ferreted through the fridge. Halex could not remember a day without these three wise men, nor could he recall ever wanting to be free of them this much either. They were his brothers and they watched him protectively. They would and had risked their lives for him.

"You will all stay up here, in this room. I have to go down and find her before she gets hurt or hurts someone else by chance." Halex looked at each man as he slid his own Glock next to the TV and headed for the door as Moab grabbed his arm and Halex froze, "Yes, Moab" he turned looking at his man.

"Don't get yourself caught, killed, or both for some girl you were tied up with a long time ago and feeling guilty for now," Moab said in his firm tenor slamming his hand against the TV cabinet. No one jumped; but the liquor bottles in the minibar rattled on their shelves as Moab's face darkened, "Don't get us killed."

"You risk all our lives if that is the case and I don't want to have to play cloak and dagger to get all the way home to Dubai and be free of these people," Midian added moving to his brother's side. He still watched Halex. It was a rough few moments while their eyes stayed locked on Halex's and soon enough Halex made the first move shifting as he came closer to the brothers.

Moab and Midian were not ones to preach, they rarely opened their mouths at all and that stopped them all in their places as Kolya let the fridge close with a crisp click as he turned to look up at his friends.

"I am not from Dubai but they could make it just as hard for me to get back to Prague when this is all said and done," Kolya said firmly and Halex fell into the chair by the door his eyes swimming in the lost sea of confusion while Angel was all he saw, her frail body and soul, she was so beautiful, and so kind, and right now she was hurting and lost in a sea of wolves when she was a measly kitten being proffered to them as a sacrificial lamb. "NO!" He said loudly and gruffly, "I let you all speak loudly when it is time for you to listen. This woman will be part of my life until it ends. She needs me as much as I need her."

Kolya turned on him than with a snarl, "What of Ileana?" He loved his sister and enjoyed being close to her.

"What of her Kolya? I will pay you both your money and you can leave but I am not happy with her, I have never been and far too long have I let you both pick at me like rats. I release you both." The words stung coming from his lips as he watched Kolya, trying to measure his motives as he licked his lips. "Go home Kolya, it's what you want I can't hold you against your will. Don't make me regret even that much."

Kolya leaned back against the wall as he looked as though he had been beaten in a good go 'round and he shook his head, "No I will stay but I will send her home." He stepped to Halex and clutched his shoulder in a firm gesture of love and devotion, "You are my brother in arms and I will not falter from your course now. We will see you happy."

Moab had retreated to the table with Midian and was already playing cards with him, their guns on the table top within easy reach and Kolya reached for the TV turning it on and watching a basketball game for the local University.

Halex couldn't look at himself in the mirror and just headed out of the room, getting a nod from Mikhail as he stood silently by the door and Halex ducked back into the elevator and down he went into the lower floors of the hotel getting off on three and making a left toward the thunderous beat of a Rob Zombie song pounding in the cool desert air. 

The storm over the Catalina's electrified the air as he opened the door and slid inside, giving only a curt nod to the girls talking just outside and he licked his suddenly dry lips as he began to search out his red-haired savior and he found her tucked inside a smaller side room with three pool tables and he smiled leaning on the wood frame watching her play a game of pool despite the obvious to him alone, it seemed, shaking of her limbs.

Oblivious to him she played on through three games taking all three ex-football players for their hard earned twenties and he came up and set a hundred on the edge of the pool table and put the shot glass, holding next player place, over it. 

"I play winner," he said as he tried to hide the accent that had beat itself into his voice and her head lifted up, her eyes burning with an intense need and he decided then and there to fill it in whatever way he could that didn't mean the drug.

She was intense in all angels as Halex racked the balls and lined them up, putting away the triangle, and selecting his cue. "You look nice Angel. Though I preferred those pajamas." That got a chuckle and she blushed for him a nice warm pink. Mike Playhe laughed outright and Halex turned and looked at him a brow quirked, "What Halex, it was funny. You seeing the ice queen in a pair of pajamas."

"Well it's not funny and it's true. I happened to have needed to talk to her. She answered the door in a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt. What did you assume... her in lingerie?" He snorted and waited for Angel to take her shot.


	10. Chapter Nine

Angel stared at the pitcher of water watching the liquid go down time and again as she drank each cup full of the tasteless liquid, oh she hated it and the more she drank the more she shook, tears slid down her cheeks as the familiar want started to fill her belly and soon she was emptying the Kleenex box between wanting to cry and just shredding the tissues. What had she allowed Halex do to her? Her tongue was so dry and the water wasn't wetting it and she began to sweat and that was torture in its self as she curled up in a ball crying dry tears. Bastard! Who was he to put her through this hellish torture alone?

She drank her water, refilling the pitcher once as she trembled. Slowly she sat up, her head light from the drug leaving her system and she slid out of her polka dot pajamas as she moved across the room, to the balcony and dragged a chair out to watch the night sky, the flash of lightning over the mountains surrounding the city as she trembled, how she'd missed the storms as they brought electricity and life to the desert and she could smell the wet earth and the smell brightened her senses. i

The distant storm meant survival for everyone in the old pueblo and she smiled as she lifted her face to the coming rain and softly drops began to fall leaving spheres of water pooling on her skin as it slowly got harder and harder until she sat there soaking wet without a care in the world as she rocked softly back and forth until a loud clap of thunder made her shudder and she slid back inside and walked quietly to the bathroom and turned on the shower stepping inside the beautiful marble stall to wash away the grit of sandy rain and came out wrapped in a towel as she could think once more of nothing but Halex.

Was she obsessed? She couldn't figure anything else out. His brown eyes swallowed her whole and she felt as if she was somewhere else. Those intense, dark pools of chocolate, the gaze they held had gone straight to her heart and warmed it and her belly, her body waking up to the man she'd been in love with her whole life, but could she tell him. Now she was somewhere safe. Then suddenly she was falling and her hands gripped the counter as she eyed her medicine bottles. Her breathing came heavy as her gaze flicked over each bottle she turned toward the garbage can and found the empty orange bottle.

Turning them slowly one at a time she realized it was gone, the one bottle that would make the rollercoaster stop. She threw her arm across the counter sending medicine bottles spraying across the bath a few bottles breaking sending yellow and green pills scattering across the floor like shattered glass and she sunk to the floor to cry. She had to have more. She did have more. But where. Where!

She got up as her body fought against her and she drank a glass full of water and stood on two shaky legs she felt like a deer to herself when on the outside she looked okay her insides were turning against her as she went for the suitcase and flipped it upside down dumping the contents, flinging her clothes everywhere in search of a bottle and she could find none. Had he found it? Had he found all of them... She could remember three. Where was the third? Her purse. Yes! Her purse and she searched hard for her purse and dumped it on the bed again finding nothing and now her head was screaming and she flopped down putting her purse back together and drinking another cold drink of water as she took deep breaths. Her pulse beating hard, so hard she could hear the swish in her ears and she lay down again closing her eyes.

Damnit! She was going to lose her mind and slid off the bed curling up in a corner of the room by the ac it was cool while she was burning up, and it's clicking and fan helped drown out the confusion in her head as she cried.

The music cranking up downstairs gave her hope and she wouldn't stay trapped inside anymore. The metal grinding through her body was definitely Nirvana or Live. She couldn't stay shut up and she finally pulled herself out of her hole and drove herself to sort through her clothes, finding a pair of jeans she didn't realize she packed. She couldn't have packed them and smiled. Georgia. She continued flitting through her clothes and found a shirt that was somewhat sexy and sat on the bed as she did some quick braid work with her hair and called down to the front desk to get Halex's room number, she'd go see him first. Had to see him first really and slid on a pair of heels she discovered, again one person rang to mind. Georgia. The woman hadn't talked to her in over a year except for brief passes at work and giving her, her paycheck. She got the room number up on five and closed the door, a small wallet in her pocket as she slid into the elevator and punched five. Somehow she'd gotten a second wind.

Coming up on five the doors slid open and she stepped out and walked down the right-hand wall till she came across a tall dark-haired man leaning against the wall whistling. He was dark like Halex, tall and more like a brick wall than a man. He was, hell why was she noticed as she took him in seeing that he was standing in front of 5201 and she sighed as she drew closer to him, he was obviously security for Halex, but why would he need security and slowly the dark-haired man turned looking at her, drinking her in.

"Hi... I'm Angel, I need to speak with Halex." Mikhail shifted, "Hi Angel, I'm Mikhail, and I'm afraid Mr. Adler isn't in. He stepped out." Angel frowned, "Tell him that Angel High will be down in the recreation room for the school party. I hope he comes." She pouted a little and turned in front of him disappearing down the hall as Moab looked out, "Who was that?"

Mikhail shrugged, "Some classmate."

Moab shifted, "More like trouble, a woman that sexy comes calling in a strange town during a job is job ending. Life ending. It means Halex is compromised."

Mikhail shifted, "She's really pretty though. Can kind of understand why." Moab grabbed his arm and spun him around, and Mikhail wavered off balance a little bit.

"What the hell are you doing?" He shoved Moab back, slamming him into the door frame, "Get your ass back inside before you're seen and we get in trouble you know the rules."

Moab just stared at him a long heated moment, licking his bottom lip and shook his head lifting his chin as he stepped back. "You're lucky you're the favorite, bastard."

Mikhail just shoved him inside and slammed the door stepping back in front of it. He hated Moab's temper, it was cruel and untamable, only Halex received his kindness, but Mikhail was the first under Halex and they had to listen to him whether they liked him or not.

Downstairs, Angel wound her way down to the recreation room. When she opened the door, the beat of the subwoofers clashed with her body and she shivered. It had been a long time since she was around music this heavy and loud and she smiled at people she recognized and walked up to the bar and thought about the perfect drink, instead she got real cozy with a group of ex-football players for the school, laughing and chuckling as her drinks were bought and paid for until the cotton brain was replaced with a burning buzz one for the other she thought she was doing okay for that matter.

Angel laughed with the boys for a bit as the night slowly moved on, but once she had the buzz moving through her body, her limbs tingling, she moved toward the pool room, she always did like a good game of pool. She watched each table with a gentle gaze, as they moved lost out on and on to the more knowledgeable adults won, the twenties disappearing she finally pulled out of her pocket and set it on the first table under the shot glass and smiled at the boys, "I get the winner this time."

She selected her cue and picked up a cube of blue chalk quietly rubbing the chalk on the felt tip as she sang quietly to the song on the DJ's table. Angel's heels clicked on the fancy Spanish tile as she waited for the balls to be racked and she took the white ball and angled it up, breaking hard sending the balls spinning across the table winning solids as she continued to sink ball after ball till she missed on the seven and had to hand it over to Jake Odam, the winner of the last game and she laughed sipping from her beer as she watched him play, gathering a group as soon the ball was back to her and she came down to sinking the eight ball as called and looked up for the next player.

She played that way for nearly a half hour, missing Halex's entrance as he took on the winner of the next game watching her win another twenty dollars off Mike Playhe, the quarterback of their Senior year varsity football team. A waitress brought her another beer as she looked up sinking the eight ball and just stared at him, her eyes dark as she smiled, "Rack 'em." She had told him as she went to talk to the waitress dropping a twenty on her tray and she came back with two bottles of beer giving Halex one and Angel took the other.

"You sure you really want to do this Halex, she's too good for any of us," asked Mike as the watchers got a little thicker.

Halex simply arched his brow at Mike, the man always had underestimated his decisions and Angel, a deadly combination now. "I can take her, she's drunk now and she knows not how well I play." Halex chalked his cue and waited. Watching the redheaded vixen as she broke the rack and watched as the ball spun out over the table netting her stripes this time as she watched where all the solid's landed especially the prized game-ending eight-ball and she smiled.

"Stripes it is." She smirked at Halex as another drink was brought to her and he held the waitress off, "No more for her she's had plenty but I'll take another beer." The waitress nodded and walked off to get his order.

"You have no business turning away my drink," She yelled at him as she tried to get the waitresses attention but failed and went back to the table, her arms shaking worse. "Why?"

Halex stood watching her, "You are filling one hole with another and it will only make it worse. After this game, we will talk." He leaned over her steadying her shaking arms as she pushed him back. "I can still win, shaking or not." But she was wrong and a beer and many scratched shots later Halex had her up over his shoulder, bouncing her to shut her up as they left the pool room and the party altogether.

"Put. Me. Down. Halex." She said as she squirmed, "You have no right to do this!" She finally got a handful of his hair in her grip but all he did was stop halfway to the elevator, "Let it go or I will make a scene so terrible you will never be able to show your face in this lobby again."

She froze on his shoulder, letting his hair go as she blanched, "You wouldn't dare! You insufferable monster!" She started hitting his back with her right hand, "PUT.ME.DOWN!" She wiggled and bucked trying to do anything she could think of to get off this man's shoulder. He'd become a barbarian in the years since their separation.

"Halex, I'm seriously put me down or I'm going to scream." She said calmly as he chuckled, "And what would you scream? Abuse? Rape?" He set her down but kept a hand on her. "I'm not letting you go till we're back in your room and we talk about this." He led her to the elevator and up to the third floor and walked into her room as she just bit her lip and looked at the floor like a scolded child. He stood waiting for her, "Go on open it I'm not going to hurt you, Angel." He promised her as he ushered her inside, "You're in a bad spot and you need the help, now back to bed with you, go put your pajama's back on I think you need sleep."

She nodded and took the polka dotted wear and walked to the bathroom her vision blurring with tears as emotions of the past welled up in her mind and the tears started to fall. She slid out of the jeans and slid the shorts back on, tying the tie at her waist as she slowly looked around the room in her tear-filled gaze and she turned to take off the top and slid into the matching tee as she picked up one of the few bottles that had fallen into the sink when she's thrown the rest to the ground and carefully picked out two pills and washed them down with cool water before clutching at the sink, "Don't freak out Angel." She told herself as she let the tears come and she slid to her knees sobbing in a sea of pain and fear.

Halex listened to her from the other side of the door, letting her cry out the pain and anguish she'd been holding in for too long and when her sobs had quieted he opened the door and picked her up, carrying her to bed and tucked her in, kicking off his own shoes and taking off the button down he crawled into bed with her in his dress slacks and wife-beater and just held her, letting her know there was some safety in the world and he pressed his lips to her shoulder as she gave a shuddered sigh of pain and fear as he sighed, "It's going to be okay Angel. No one's going to hurt you again." He made her that promise not sure if he could keep it or not but he knew he'd die trying and he didn't leave her till early morning when Midian paged him and he left her sleeping, sliding into his shoes he shut her door and went back upstairs to his room.


	11. Chapter Ten

Angel's phone ringing in the morning hours didn't wake her up. All she did was toss in her sleep. Her pale skin littered in beads of perspiration and freckles as she slept the morning away, her phone ringing again and again didn't stir her until nearly dinner time. She knew nothing of what moved around her or around her in the hotel as the party cranked up again, it was Saturday and tonight was the formal and everyone was going to be getting ready for it in the Papago Ballroom at eight. She was actually excited for it. It would bring back memories of Halex and the pretty blue dress his mother had bought for her ten years before.

Yoli Adler had adopted her as a surrogate daughter and raised her when her own mother could not. Her mother brought a tear to her eye, while the woman had been a full-time drunk, either bar or home she had moments of sobriety that led her to try and take care of her daughter. But the thoughts of Yoli a beautiful gypsy woman made Angel's chest tighten and she had to fight for control of her sobs.

When she awoke the sun was starting to set in the Arizona sky. She lifted the sleek phone from the bedside table just as she noticed the message waiting light was blinking to and she turned on the phone and eyed the number and frowned she'd missed fifteen calls since she had gone downstairs last night. She sighed flipping through them all, they were all from Georgia and she sighed calling the woman back as she stepped into the bathroom and eyed the mess and her mind started flipping through what had happened and she couldn't remember.

Coming downstairs an hour later, in her peach shorts and jacket, she went to The Three Javalina's for dinner. Walking past Halex at first, she got a menu and startled when she felt a hand on her arm and she swung out of habit with the menu. Halex caught the menu, deflecting it as he smiled that wicked grin. "Angel."

"Halex!" She squeaked and watched him. "Why did you grab me?"

"Just wanted to say hello, was getting worried, and didn't see you at breakfast or lunch, didn't see you leave, so I worried. Did you sleep well?"

"Don't worry about me and yeah I slept like the dead, don't remember anything from last night." She sighed as she watched two men from the pool games the night before eyeing her and giving her thumbs up, and she looked at Halex, "Why are they giving thumbs up?"

He looked over his shoulder as he folded the paper up and set it on the table as he ignored the buzzing coming from it, "They were at the pool tournament last night with you and me."

"Pool tournament?" She tried hard to remember, but found herself coming up short of the epic party she threw herself the night before. "I remember laying down last night after I got back in. You were here in the lobby and we talked on the way up." She continued to think then looked at him with wide eyes, "H-how did I get in my pajamas? What did we do? Did we, you know... have sex?"

Halex just smiled that childish grin and brushed a hand through his wild curls, "No we didn't have sex, I left as soon as you seemed all right with what you needed from me, I had a rendezvous that I had to get to." He pulled the menu away from her before she could hit him with it again. "Trust me the special is to die for." He ordered for her and sat across from her confused posture. "IT was nothing bad, it could have been a lot worse you know." He smiled and sipped his coffee and made a face.

"Too strong?" She asked chuckling and sipped her iced tea.

"No to weak, I like coffee you could stand a horseshoe in." He chuckled again and reopened his paper to fold it correctly.

"You like order in your life don't you?" She asked as her soup was delivered first and she dipped her spoon into the potato mush that was the glorious wonder of baked potato soup. She watched him as she ate, "Thank you for helping me last night I really wasn't in much shape to be anything. My friend Rain has been worried and I don't look like much anymore." She started again as he frowned and set down his paper again after working on the crossword.

"It was nothing Angel. You are a bright amazing woman and you fell to something in a low point in your life. I would expect you to do the same for me if I ever needed it." He was calm when he spoke, cool, calm, and collected and it bothered her. It was like he was sizing her up for something she didn't quite understand. Yes, she'd been depressed and Tobias had started controlling her.

Angel's lunch came and she gave up her empty bowl from her soup and happily dug into the sandwich with gusto as she made a happy noise at the taste of food Halex's phone started to buzz on the table and the first time he ignored it, and then it started again over and over until he picked it up halfway through her sandwich.

"Yes, dear?" He was cold now icily as he growled into the handset. "Yes, I am aware. Yes, you may. Whatever." Then he switched to a language she didn't know but understood as Arabic and her blood ran cold in her veins, his girlfriend. Her hope was immediately quashed as she finished her sandwich trying to not look pryingly at the phone as it was slammed back down on the table, "bitch." Halex growled as his dark eyes lifted to her face and he sighed. "No, I don't want to talk about it." She nodded as she ordered a piece of cobbler to finish her meal.

"Seems like a touchy relationship."

"No not really I make good money and she enjoys spending it, but feels she must keep me up on every change she makes to my home save one room."

"Let me guess. Your man-cave?" Angel laughed as she got her pie and dipped into the yummy berries as she watched him laugh.

"What is a man-cave?" He finished his fourth cup of coffee and smiled, "She's not allowed to touch my Office or Business." He watched Angel, his eyes dancing with mirth as he paid his bill and stood up as Angel sighed, "Well I best be going to see Rain unless you want to come with me." She offered to him as she picked up her purse and tucked it under her arm. "I need to check on her healing and see if she's ready to go home from this first surgery, I'm sure a visit from a handsome-as-sin stranger would do her ego some good."

Halex smiled and shifted, "I would love to meet your friend today, see who took care of my best friend all these years." He held out a hand, "We can take my car I saw you taking a taxi the other day." He walked with her out to the parking garage and slid her in the back seat to one of his many Premier 4509 Bentley's and drove her into the city toward the hospital her friend was at talking only when needed as he asked her a thousand questions. Her fingers more tuned to the interior of the car, slipping over the plush leather interior, "Where do you get a car like this?"

"Very carefully." Of course, he drew out the eeeer in very which only made her chuckle as she spoke, "Many years from now when my student loans have finally gone away and I'm old and grey."

He sighed, "No I think you will have one before then."

She opened the back door and slid out into the bright Arizona heat and slid into her white jacket, her name embroidered over the left pocket. "Well come along, Rain's probably itching to get away from hospital food by now," and she led him over the pavement into the entrance with the door's swishing open and closed for them as the uncomfortable cold of the hospital swallowed them.

By the time they got to Rain's room the woman had thrown the tray of food into the hall and was cursing her nurse who was trying hard not to cry as Angel sighed, "I'll calm her down Bernice." She promised the young girl, a fresh nurse was never a hard nurse and she sighed as she battled pillows and blankets through the curses, "WHERE IS MY DOCTOR!" She yelled as Angel took a tray to the arm and cursed, "Damn Rain I'm right here!"

Rain backed up, "Oh God Angel I'm sorry I didn't mean to hit y--," she quieted seeing Halex, "My god is this the dark devil?"

Angel looked chagrined enough to blush red and nod, "Aye it's him. Rain, this is Halex. Halex, this is Rain." She moved over to look over all the healing wounds and smiled, "How would you like to go to a prom?" She asked Rain who eyed her curiously, "A Prom?"

Angel nodded, not explaining for a few minutes, "Well at least to my hotel room and I promised Halex I'd dance a dance with him tonight at our ten year anniversary prom night to remember thingy."

Rain chuckled and smiled, "If it means out of here."

Angel grinned at her, "You bet it does how about you change and I'll go get your release papers." She smiled and swayed off as Halex watched her go and slid behind a privacy curtain to let Rain change until she said he could come back in, he smiled finding her in a soft sleeveless sundress, the sutures went all the way down to her chest, tiny little things perfect for scarless or scar little as any surgeon could do and he smiled, "You're going to be beautiful in no time." Rain nodded and smiled, "Don't you dare hurt her again." She threatened and sat in one of two chairs in the private room she had managed to score.

"I couldn't hurt her again, not after the life she's had."

"You don't know the half of it." She said then went silent as Angel came in with the papers and nurse getting them signed and getting a wheelchair to walk her out to that beautiful car that Halex fetched, pulling it up curbside for them to get in before heading back out to the resort letting the girls talk quietly.

"Oh wow!" Rain shrieked at the car as she climbed in with a smile and fastened her seatbelt as Angel followed her in and Halex shut the door and went around to his door driving them back to the resort and let them up to Angel's room as his phone went off and he slipped back into the elevator taking the call again, "Adler." He rumbled as the doors closed.


	12. Chapter Eleven

"Now that's a tall drink of dark and mysterious." Rain chuckled as she sat on the huge king size bed. "Why didn't you ever tell me McDreamy from your high school days was so handsome? Come on dish. You said he was helping you with the drug issue what else is he helping you with?"

Angel sighed and sat in the wingback chair in the corner kicking off her heels, "No we haven't had sex and yes he is dark and mysterious and he has four men just as dark and big staying with him in his suite."

That made Rain stand again as she tilted her head, "Wait there is more of him?" She ran to a mirror to primp then stopped staring at her reflection in the mirror and sagged to the desk chair, "I'll be alone forever." She started to cry as Angel got up and fixed her hair, "You won't be alone forever my dear sister. There will be a man deep and mysterious that will look past your outer flaws and love the inner you, a man that won't balk at the scars. I think I brought two beautiful dresses, let me check."

Angel smiled and went to her dress bag and flipped through the clothes in it and pulled out two dresses, one a light mauve and the other a dark blue and she smiled handing the blue one to Rain, it would cover her chest and she could get away with it in her underclothes she was wearing now. She urged her into the bath and Rain frowned, "What happened in her?" She asked eyeing the pills scattered across the floor several crunching under shoe.

"It happened early this morning I was upset that he'd thrown away all of my pills, these are some of my other pills." Scattering a few toward the sloped shower as she tried to hide her face as Rain hugged her close, "You should have called before I called begging for your expertise."

"I didn't know I was in trouble until I melted into Halex after writing him off as dead." She sighed and hugged Rain back. "Get dressed and I'll do your makeup." She kissed her cheek and slid out of the bathroom turning on the news as she dressed in the main room, listening to the forecast for clear skies before cutting to a story on the flourish of the drug called Dragon and what it was doing to the city and she quickly switched it off before zipping the mauve dress's zipper over her hip and up her torso and moved to the mirror to do her makeup as Rain emerged from the bathroom looking stunning in the blue number, "Its perfect on you Rain, my dear."

Rain smiled and leaned against the desk, "If he doesn't consider you the perfect catch tonight he's a fool." Rain looked her over, "Your killer."

"Says the woman that delivers babies for a living, you have the hands of God."

"You're biased."

"You will be the only woman I trust to deliver my children, if there are any in my future." Angel smiled and did Rain's makeup, the effects drawing attention to her eyes and away from the tiny blue stitches across her face. She smiled as she put the finishing touches on as there was a knock at the door and Rain's eyes widened, "I don't know if I can do this." She whispered and Angel's heard surged for her friend as she went to answer the door, finding Halex and a very disgruntled Midian standing in nice suits and Angel let them in.

"Angel, Rain." Halex said softly, "This is my friend Kirill. I thought Rain would like a gentleman to escort her this evening and he's the only gentleman I have not guarding a door." He smiled and kissed Angel's hand as Kirill nodded to them and grumbled a rough hello to Rain who just eyed him with her blue eyes. She moved closer to him and Halex smiled saying something in that Arabic he used on the phone before and Midian moved closer to Rain, "Is nice to meet." He said to her as he held up his arm and she took it as Angel finished her makeup and took Halex's arm and down they went to the ballroom.

Angel took in Kirill and Rain, the man seemed nice enough now, his dark skin hidden by the bright white of his dress shirt and the crisp black of the suit jacket and Rain seemed not to mind that he didn't speak much. Angel then shifted her gaze up at her own wall of a date and smiled. Halex was hers if even for a moment and she pat his arm and told him thank you nodding toward Rain and Midian. "Is he a cousin?"

Halex shook his head, "Close enough he could be but no." He signed them in collecting their memorabilia for the event, a simple book of photos and info, address books, and beautiful champagne glasses for them and they even happily gave a set to Rain and Midian as they made their way inside the music of old already beating in the room and they found an empty table as people continued flowing in and

Rain smiled, "So this is what a prom is like?" She looked at Kirill who seemed interested in her words as he watched her, "I usually deal with what comes nine months after prom." She pat his hand as she looked around before pulling out the picture book flipping through it she showed him pictures of Angel and of Halex. Though most of the photos had been taken by Angel they did a good job of showing Halex and the rest of the popular crowd." Kirill set his hand on one picture, "He looks sad. I never see him looking sad."

Angel looked over as Halex went to get them beers and she looked at the picture, "That was taken the morning my mom had locked me out of the house and I ended up in his house, his parents decided to take me in rather than calling the cops and he found out how lucky he was to have his parents." She smiled at Kirill but always he gave the stone cold stare except what he offered Rain.

"Your mother was like mine then, I understand now why he is protective of you, why he would risk the world to help you." Then he went quiet taking Rain out into the crowded dance floor and danced with Rain, who seemed happy and even laughed as Halex appeared with beer and handed her one setting two of the three on the table and took a drink from his bottle as Angel smiled.

"So you are never sad in your new life I hear."

"Well not sad where anyone can see, I am plenty sad." He said sitting down.

Rain's dress swished around her thighs lightly as she turned in Kirill's arms and he smiled at her, telling her something when she was close that made her blush and she turned to look up at him. She seemed so childlike and Angel suddenly felt protective like a mother lion and she turned to Halex. "He's not going to hurt her will he? I'll kill him Halex." Halex shifted watching them and he walked out to the two and slid Angel into their little group to dance with Rain as Kirill came back. "He says you have a talk with me?"

She sighed. "I'm not angry but I need to know your intentions toward Rain." Her green eyes slid over his dark ones as she crossed her arms. Taking a drink of her beer as Kirill thought quietly and shifted.

Kirill's dark eyes locked on Angel's as he took a drink of his own beer and licked his lips, "She's a wonderful adult. She seemed happy. Would you deny her happy? I see past the lines, I see her. IT can't last but for the moment I give her happy." He got up fast enough the chair slid out from under him and rocked almost falling over as Angel felt chastised and she went back to her beer as her eyes lifted out to the dancing as Kirill kicked back in and Halex came back.

"Get what you were digging for?" Angel sighed, "No I got chastised like a five-year-old in her mommies makeup." She sighed and he held out his hand, "Come. Dance. It will make you feel better." Angel excepted hid hands and walked out with him just as it changed to a slow song and she wrapped her arms around his neck, laying her head on his chest and listened to his heart.


	13. Chapter Twelve

She was confused as she stumbled in blindly, her phone ringing, she barely noticed Kirill and Rain talking at the desk as she found her phone, "Dr. High," she said listening to the call and hung up. Packing messily she left. She wasn't sure what was going on, she wasn't sure how she felt about Halex, or about what he said as she fought through the wave of nausea in her belly as she rushed to get a cab heading to Tucson International Airport to get back to Chicago and home.

She made notes on a notepad as she talked to the E.R. doctor that had called her in, in person on the case of two battered women. A mother and child and that pulled at her heartstrings as she took any flight back to O'Hare and waited to board as she continued discussing the case, "Three hours out Dr. Walsh. I'll go straight to the hospital so in four hours I'll be ready and in when you're closing up and finish." Yes, I understand, thank you so much." She hung up and turned her phone off as she boarded the flight and stuffed her bag in the overhead bin and kicked her backpack under the seat in front of her then fastened her seatbelt looking out the window at the tarmac.

He'd understand... when he came back and found just Rain in the room, he'd understand and their lives would maybe pass again in some time, she turned off her e-reader and tucked it away. Her silver dollars tucked in her jacket pocket tucked away for snacks and a drink on the flight, a not so easy job these days to get more than a drink took 3 hours by time and she was just over a three-hour nonstop flight. 

She sighed, not even noting she'd started to cry as they began to Taxi and lifted into the air. The flight wasn't full and so she passed the time with a soldier returning to his base to go back to Afghanistan after being with his wife who had their baby girl. She turned away and started crying again, her internal mommy clock was ticking louder and louder as she rests her head on the window as he went on about his daughter Selena and showed her pictures. She pulled herself together, no one would hear that clock now. Even though it clicked loud and clear she was damned to be alone and she admired the pictures the soldier showed her of the beautiful redhead and smiled, "She's beautiful." He thanked her and put his pictures away turning back to a book he was reading by Jennifer Armintrout, something about Blood Ties and she sighed.

She lay her head back, popping her earbuds into her ears and turned on her iPod when it was safe and listened to the music, trying not to think about anything else as the plane cut through the cooling air on the way to Chicago, the soldier had fallen asleep, and her life changing as she slept.

Back in Arizona, Kirill had alerted Halex to Angel's swift disappearance and he was quickly downstairs to talk to Rain who just sighed and went over the encounter again, that her job needed her and she'd been called home. But in two weeks she was going to be going to Chicago to have the final work done on her face and would definitely make sure her best friend was okay.

Rain dropped her hands into her lap she was still wearing the formal gown and gave only a simple care to stepping into the bathroom to change back into her sweatpants and tee-shirt and came back out, "Alright asshole look. She's not running from you, she's rushing to a little girl's side to help her. She's the best reconstructive surgeon the hospital has on retainer so she went. One day you will get that, but until you do I suggest you go home, back to whatever hell you came from, and take your men and their soft words and hard looks and just be whatever you are. Work with your Emirates. Make your money. Maybe you can come back and torture us all again real soon. Now get out."

Halex looked taken about, never had a woman dare speak to him in such a manner and now Midian was up and headed for the door. Halex nodded as he watched Rain, "Never has anyone talked to me like this. You act as though we are friends and you can snap at me. You can't. My life has just been flipped upside down and turned inside out. I love her Dammit! I always have."

Rain opened her mouth and closed it several times, "I'll go home. I'll take her things she left and you don't have to worry about anything. Just be on your way. Do whatever you do and forget that you found her." She pushed him out the door trying not to cry. Rain didn't even care that she was sabotaging her best friend's life.

'Halex snorted at her, "You have no idea." He turned on the heel of his leather shoe and l left the suite without another sound, going back up to his room, barely acknowledging Mikhail she started packing up, "We're done here, boys. Let's go home."

Halex's other three men eyed him, Midian and Moab moving to pack as Mitya just stood and watched. Halex grabbed his suitcase and the hanging bag and packed and took his things down to his car as downstairs Rain was taking off her clothes to shower and change before she picked Angel's things and left back to her small house just off of Dodge and locked herself in, avoiding her mirrors. How she hated mirrors and couldn't understand how that man had spent the evening with her without flinching.

* * * * *

Rain moped waiting for a call from Angel letting her know she was okay... But the seriousness of the surgery she figured it would be closer to two am when she called. She tore up a poppy seed muffin into crumbs as her parrot talked to her from its cage it loved. Watching as Rain dropped two scrambled eggs into the crumbs whisking it all together than microwaving it for finger minutes then took it out to cool before feeding the beautiful green macaw.

"Hey baby mama's got your yummy muffin for you./" She smiled putting the pieces in her food dish and smiled "My pretty girl." She stroked her feathers with a soft touch, "Eat your muffin them we'll go walk outside and get a bath." She grinned as the bird perked up, "Lady pretty bird, Lady Bath." She squeaked, while Rain grinned at her.

"That's my girl. Now I need food." She smiled and started making herself some dinner, she had yet to eat and yet she worried about Angel all the same. She makes a single burger and she stuffed it with veggies and sat down to eat. When she was done she methodically cleaned her dish and cup and went around to the bedroom and showered changing into a nightgown and curled into her bed to read a book and wait, by ten o'clock Angel still hadn't called so she turned out the light and curled under her blanket and drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

In Chicago, Angel had hopped through the terminal, getting into a cab to the hospital, going up to the surgery wing and she scrubbed in, reading through the chart, and watched the procedures being done as she stepped into the suite; letting the doctor know she was there. She stared down at the little girl.

"Damn the parents for not following the law. Did she go through the window?" The doctor nodded, ""Ejected through the windshield, never wearing her seatbelt they found her twenty feet from the car."

Angel sighed and started getting her instruments ready and stood quietly waiting for her turn and soon she was slowly piecing the small girl back together. Tiny stitches for tiny scars as the night moved on. At two a.m. she finished and scrubbed out as the girl went to recovery and she finally got a shower and called Rain.

"I'm sorry I ran out. Rain, I love you but a little girl needed me. I'm on my way home, but I'll talk to you for now just waiting for a service car."

Rain smiled, "I love you too sis and its okay you helped a child possibly not be disfigured." She sat up; looking at the clock, "its two a.m. are you sure you're going to be okay getting home Angel, she asked sounding very concerned.

A sleek black car pulled up from the service and she slipped inside giving her address and yawned as she smiled. "Yes mommy, my car's here now and I'm going straight home. Did Halex say anything when I left?"

"No he didn't but I had a few choice words for him that made him leave quickly. I'm very feral when it comes to you and he found that out. The bastard. What did you see in him? HE's so full of himself and the other man, Midian, was just as stiff."

"Stiff? Yes, I do believe he could be considered stiff and well stuffy. He used to be laughter and parties and kindness. He's just grown up now, away from friends and family. He has a kind heart, he's helping me, and he's getting me off the drug and on the straight and narrow. It makes me really sick and I'm going to go through a lot for a while because of it. If you'd like to come out early, I have the spare room and you can help too. "Please," she begged in her tired voice, meaning every word.

Rain was quiet for a long while and she shifted on the bed again, "I'll fly out tomorrow and spent the summer with you, how's that sound?" She asked as she wrote information down, "We can hang out and do things together, The Malls... The Lake," she yawned herself and rubbed her eyes, "You just get home and get yourself to bed for me."

Angel smiled, "You got it Chief." She grinned as the driver pulled to a stop at a red light, "We'll have fun! Just you and I when I'm not working and you'll love the dogs," she grinned as they started moving again, "Call me with your flight information and I'll be at the airport to pick you up."

She rubbed her eyes again, her contacts felt glued to her eyes with sand in the middle and she yawned a fourth time, "Call me in the morning sweetie, have a safe flight out." She pushed end on her cell phone and smiled as she could see the dogs wagging their tails in the window and she got out and headed in as the driver pulled away. Dixie, you're getting so fat," she exclaimed to her baby girl and rubbed her big belly and nuzzled Beau to as she locked the door and stepped down into the sunken living room only because she did not feel as though she could make it up the bedroom stairs.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Twenty-four hours later, Halex lay across his large bed in Dubai, his bare feet hanging off the side with his hand tossed over his eyes, Angel on his mind as her red hair bounced in his memory. Why did she have to get tangled in his thoughts? Why did she have to return now? Why? WHY?!? He was being tormented as the long-legged Czechoslovakian beauty slid onto the bed with him and pressed against him.

Ileana he could afford to lose, Angel he could not. If anyone found out about her they could easily destroy him and he sighed, shifting on the bed as he thought about her. The music switched tempo downstairs and he smiled as he knew the club was doing well. But was his angel? She was still withdrawing when he left, left to the devices of Rain. Could he trust Rain?

The heavy oak bed cradled him, the magnificently carved bedposts, stained dark and kissed the night as he dreamed of Angel sleeping in it, her waves of red hair kissing the golden sheets, spraying over the pillow to the heavy board. Oh how he wanted her, needed her. Yet, he had to get her out of his mind, he would drink her out if he had to.

The phone on the matching desk in the corner rang and he slid himself off the bed and dawdled a little before answering it, "Adler." He rubbed the back of his neck, "Chicago sure." He listened a little while longer, "Got it we'll be there tomorrow night. Sure. Thanks. "He shifted and hung up the phone, things were going bad in Chicago and he had to go straighten it out. The danger was too close to Angel and he shivered. "I'll keep you safe." He said to no one in particular

Slipping into a long tee-shirt and leather pants, he made his way to the heavy door that separated the club from home and tugged it open, getting blasted in the face by the smell of alcohol and heavy bodies while Rammstein played on the stereo system not far away from the steps he hopped up two at a time to get to his own sanctuary in the club and watched the throng of young people melt to the music. Du Hast poured out as he was brought a freezer cold bottle of vodka no glass and he opened it tilting back his head for a long pull on the frosted bottle.

Moab and Midian sat talking to one another motioning to him as he slid in and smiled, "We have not so good business." Midian nodded as he joined Halex sitting on a chair opposite him as Moab sat beside him. 

The men looked at him, "What did you mean we have trouble?" Moab asked as he finished his beer and ordered another dark ale and looked at his brother, "Where is it? Where are we going?" 

Halex shifted and toyed with his drink, "The trouble is in the US... In Chicago." He left out, where Angel is from the men he considered brothers. 

"What's going on there," Moab asked him as he ran a hand through his hair, "What is going wrong? Well if it's the US we are in trouble. I'm sure by now we're on their watch list and may not even be able to get in. They're cracking down on all of that you know."

"Our stance in the drug world is being challenged and people are getting hurt because of it. We have to go to sort it they are trying to overthrow us they want us out of the territory so they can come in with their own drug and rule the territory. Much like the mobsters of old used to in prohibition times. So we'll let it happen, we'll go, we'll plan, and we'll leave." Halex shifted and turned back to Moab, "I can get us in, that's not the problem it's getting us all out alive. We'll only have a small window of time. Two days tops to set up and make the deal." He sank back on the couch and closed his eyes the music sliding into a Skrillex-Korn mix and all he could do was mouth the words.

Moab growled and pulled out his ever-present deck of cards seemed it was the only way the guy could think was playing a game of poker against his brother Kirill who was staying relatively quiet. No one would really speak until Mikhail got there he was the go-between and managed to keep the waters still, instead of diving into an ocean during the perfect storm.

"We're leaving in an hour," Was all Mikhail said and they began to sober up for their flight. Mikhail was rarely questioned but when the man leaned against the pillar looking over the sea of partygoers everyone sat up, Kolya was gone he'd been replaced with a lower down Oded, who had watched over the creation of the drug and now he was with the big dogs to see if he could swim. Halex looked at Mikhail, "Have you made the preparations I asked for along the way?" Mikhail shifted under his scrutiny, "They will only meet in the hospital parking garage for University Medical, so it's where we go."

That was no good it was too close to Angel. He'd studied the University campus many times since they first started having trouble with the gangs in Chicago. He knew Angel had gone back to work and he knew Rain was with her and that scared him more than he'd admit.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Halex pulled back the slide on his Glock, cocking the gun with full control, looking each of his detail one on one before speaking in his raspy bass, "I'm getting every one of you out of here alive, just listen to me." Halex shifted in the parking garage and took a deep breath, "I'm going to take their fire and you run as fast as you can, for years you have faithfully taken care of me. Let this be our final stand and let me do this."

Kirill was the only one to question their boss, "Halex, no."

Halex cut him off before he could say more, "Damn Kirill. No. I want you all home. Safe on the next flight out. You leave here and go straight to the airport. These son-of-a-bitches mean business. Now on Three." Halex took another deep breath.

"One." He looked under the cars for feet. "Two." He brushed his unmanageable curly hair out of his eyes as he mouthed goodbye to his friends. "Three!" He jumped across the car pulling the hair-trigger over and over again as bullets flew past him, a spray of automatic fire lit up the garage as his men, and all but Midian flew across to the SUV taking off. Kirill popped up to run. But instead, his rifle came up to his shoulder. He couldn't let Halex stay behind because he knew. He knew Halex would stay. So he braced the rifle and fired, making the garage echo with ricochets and the unmistakable sound of the gang on their tale was his and dropping, all of this over Dragon.

Kirill choose to stay and fired taking out several of the men firing on them enough to pull Halex over the parking garage wall, talking to his boss as he stroked his cheek, wiping away blood as he kissed his brow and closed his eyes before looking across the grassy knoll and saw the lights on at Chicago Plastic Surgery on and he hefted Halex up over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

Climbing his way to the front door, the automatic door didn't slide open it was locked and when he hit the glass the woman working at the front desk jumped a foot and stood to stare at them as Kirill begged for her to come closer, "Please we need help." He could barely gasp, the proper words as Halex groaned and he set him down and seeing Angel's face he knew in that moment why Halex loved her, she was an angel and orders were being given on the other side of the door as it released and he fell in dropping Halex in a bloody mess on the floor. "Help us please."

* * * * * *

Rain sat on a cot where their spread of midnight Chinese spread out over a clean sheet, the t.v. playing quietly as she dished everything out and too an egg roll dipping it in the sweet and sour and nudged the sleepy Angel, "Come on sleepy head it's your last overnight for a week. She pushed the plate of steaming hot Chinese toward her best friend, her sister really. "You got to eat and quit dwelling on Halex he's been out of your life for months now. It's not like he really wanted to stay or he would have." She swung her short legs, "and I need to know you're okay before my healed up self-goes back to her booming obstetrics and gynecology office in Tucson to wither alone and die. It's not like I'll be seeing Kirill again anytime soon."

Angel took her plate and stirred around the pork fried rice as she thought quietly, she couldn't help but dwell on Halex, she always had, always will he was like a bad habit: he didn't die easy and he was hard to kick. She took a bite of the Mongolian beef and danced her fork around as she enjoyed the slow burn, "Your right you know, you've watched me mope for the whole summer, he went back to his world and left me in mine."

Rain nearly dropped her soda when the sound of gunfire bounced off the building, "that was closer, "Where's Georgia" Raid set her plate down as Georgia's cry from the front made them all jump and Rain and Angel rushed to the front, "Georgia? What?" Angel asked as Georgia lifted her hand to the door as Rain pushed the release and rushed toward them, stopping as Halex lay lifeless on the ornate laminate and she gasped as the hat fell off Midian's head, his own dark hair falling around him, caked in blood, "Help us." Was the only thing he could say, "Help him Angel..." He collapsed beside his boss as Angel moved closer and felt for a pulse barely finding one she looked at Georgia, "Get a cot he doesn't have much time."

The girls moved quickly as she moved to asses Kirill and hit him, "You're wearing a vest why isn't he!?" She was beyond angry. "WHY YOU AND NOT HIM, "She screamed in anger as she pushed him back, his through and through to the shoulder was not bleeding badly and would just require stitches.

Rain and Georgia swung back into the lobby as the scooped him up and Georgia ran to get her equipment ready in the surgical suite, she was shaking and started flipping switches and turning knobs, Rain pushed a button opening a window to the CD player and the room filled with Japanese Heavy Metal, an odd taste really, yet it made Angel work better as Angel scrubbed and Rain dressed her, "We have to report this Angel."

Angel shook her head, "We're not going to if he lives he leaves and he'll never come back. I'll make sure of it." Her voice had called and carried a dangerous tone as Rain started handing her equipment. Opening each wound and collecting the bullets as the dark giant lay sleeping.

Several hours and a lot of internal and external stitching later Halex was in her office off the vent and breathing comfortably by himself while she worked at her computer. Writing up a chart in case he was asked about and she just knew Tobias would, Tobias always sticking his nose into her business.

Rain had Kirill on Angel's cot stitching him up and counting the bullets lodged in his Kevlar vest. "You're one lucky man," she said chatting him up like an old friend rather than a man that just watched his best friend nearly die.

* * * * *

Somewhere a mile from their feet, Mikhail was calming Moab, Midian, Mitya, and their newest consort Oded. "Why did he just risk death for us and send us packing rather than fighting," Oded asked looking Mikhail over, challenging him, "Because I am next in line and as long as one of us survived the business of Dragon can carry on!" Mikhail was not going to let this new man test his family, "Moab losing your twin is a great loss but he chose to defy Halex and wherever they are he is lost to us for now as well." Moab nodded and rubbed a beaded necklace around his throat giving off a chant of safety for his brother. Mikhail loved them all as brothers and who chose to comfort them all, we will talk more when the plane lands, how things will change."

* * * * *

Rain and Angel were changing dressings and giving him more morphine as the TV news channel began to report on the gunfight in the hospital parking garage, four were dead and it seemed more had gotten away, they were looking for anyone who knew anything about it the police.

Halex stirred catching Rain's arm as Angel came around the curtain, "let her go or I let you die." She held up the full syringe, "I have enough morphine here to make you go to sleep and never wake up. I'd rather you live and go back to the country you come from, live your life and forget about me."

Halex looked up at her, pain registered on his face as he still held onto Rain, slowly letting her arm go, "Dammit let me explain." He huffed out, even talking hurt, "How many times was I shot?"

"Tell me everything then, tell me the parts the news didn't cover. You were shot six times you're going to have scary bullet hole scars. Not a single one was through and through."

Halex winced, "And yet I am here. Thank you, Angel. I owe you that much.''

"Midian brought you, thank him. I just fixed for him what I could." She pushed some of the morphine into his IV and marked a number down in the chart, "You'll Be safe to leave in three days. But until then you will be here. I'm required by law to report gunshot wounds. So don't be surprised if the police come for you." She shut off his light and closed the curtain. The sun was up but his corner was still dark enough to endure sleep in the man riddled with pain and bullet holes and Angel collapsed at her desk yawning as the sounds of Tobias coming to work filled the east hall. The smell of coffee assaulted her nose as Georgia finished up cleaning the surgical suite and came to sit with them, all three eating cold Chinese.

"One hell of a night ladies, one hell of a night and now the day begins." She closed her office door after moving the slider to say, the doctor is out and closed it again. "What am I doing," she asked no one in particular as she sunk into her desk chair again and looked over at Rain who was cleaning up the Chinese and laid out on the bed "I think you are trying to save the one you love while setting yourself up for heartache that you cannot have him because of your values. You have always loved him but he lives in a world of darkness."

Angel shifted, "Maybe you're right." She sighed softly as she went to check on him again, the holes were barely bleeding and she pulled black scrubs on him and smiled, "Time for you to go home. Kirill is taking you. I never want to see you again."

She walked out before the tears started and she ran right into Tobias who caught her. He stroked her arms and tried to kiss her and she shoved him off, "No Tobias I'm not in the mood to deal with you." She growled, "I'm discharging a patient this morning so they can go home."

Tobias stepped back letting her work as they soon had Halex on his way to O'Hare and back to where ever he came from, she didn't know, she didn't care. He was alive and gone and she and Rain went home.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

The end of summer had come and Angel had watched that cold night as Halex slipped into a sweater, white bandages still kissing his darkly tanned skin. Angel wanted so badly to tell him to stay, but she was so very angry at him still and it took much to keep from drawing her hand and slapping him. She had sent Rain out to pick up some morphine tablets at the pharmacy and delivered them directly to him as she pushed him out the side door, Kirill following close behind. "Thank you, Angel, I owe you our lives," Was all he said as they climbed into a waiting car to the airport? Rain waved bye to them, not holding her breath as she caught her best friends arm, and they left to go home, well to Angel's home and Rain flipped on the TV in the living room and sprawled out on the couch the news still hunting at this early hour for any one left hurt from the gun battle in the garage.

Rain got up and turned off the TV going into the kitchen to see to dinner, "Girl! You need to grocery shop get on your sweats and we're going?" She called up the stairs but didn't get a reply as she started up the switchback stairwell at the end of the kitchen. "Angel?" She called out again but still got no answer. She started to run up the steps then and to the master bedroom door and she slammed her petite frame against the wooden door and it popped open, Dixie and Beau barking madly as she could hear the shower running and she went into the marble bath and opened the steaming shower to locate Angel who was curled up on the floor, the water raining over her form.

"Angel baby are you hurt? Where are you hurt?" She begged hern to turn off the water and when it silenced she could hear the shivering crying coming from her best friend and she got a big fuzzy towel and coaxed her up, "Don't you dare cry over that twatwaffle."

Angel stilled and tried to suppress a smile as she looked at her, "Twatwaffle? Really? I think you've been watching too much of Sookie and her friends."

"Ah-ha so you've heard the phrase before you might be okay after all, didn't you hear me calling we need to do some major grocery shopping, living on takeout at the clinic for a week I had to trash all your food if you call a package of hamburger and dill pickles food."

"Let me get dressed and we can go to the store." She shivered getting into a pair of black sweats and a light blue tank top. Braiding her hair down her back as she tied off the end with a rubber band and grabbed her purse, "You have to drive though." She opened the garage door to reveal a lime green '67 Mustang and handed her the keys.

Rain looked at her like she was nuts, "are you kidding me?" She was in awe at the car and slid into the driver's side revving the engine and smiled, "Well get in sister!" She revved it again and opened the garage door flying backward and coming to a dead stop to shut the garage door and they headed to the grocery store. 

Rain enjoyed the ride and grinned at nabbing a spot close to the entrance of the Walmart grocery store and she climbed out and stuck her purse in the child seat as they shopped getting enough groceries for the next two weeks, planning meals to get her eating healthy again. When they were done they had rung up a four hundred dollar order and carried it out to the car, "You have to eat well sister and fast food is bad for you, probably killing yourself from the inside out. Start taking your lunch and or dinner. Promise me I don't set this all up for you and you tank it."

"I promise. I need to eat better when does your flight leave?"

"Tomorrow at ten a.m. Got to be there by eight." Rain said quietly as she set the last bag in and shut the trunk.

"We'll make it work and I'll get better." She said softly as she got back in the driver's seat, "Pet Club for Dixie and Beau then on home." She smiled and backed them up and headed across the parking lot and they went in bringing out two twenty pound bags of dry kibble, several chubs of wt food, and healthy snacks and a few things for the puppies when they came. "She's due in three weeks. Then Thanksgiving then Christmas... Will you come back for Christmas?"

Rain shifted, "I can't my brothers flying in from Tokyo. But I'll call. I promise. "You got the hospital dinners and Georgia and Tobias... You'll be so busy." She said as they drove past best buy and she pulled in, "My card needs some exercise and so does your DVD collection."

"I'm never home Rain," she whimpered as she was dragged in, updating her TV and player to a blue ray and Rain bought nearly every DVD she could find, including Lord of the rings extended editions which she swore were way better and the Harry Potter series which she claimed was way too good not to have and watch, a real tear jerker and she hovered over Twilight and bought it anyhow saying read the books first, we'll get you the books. Maybe The Host as well." Angel just scrunched down as her world was updated by her all-knowing friend who had her eyes on it all, all she had an HD flat screen, a top of the line blue-ray player and well over 100 DVD's by the time they made it to the checkout and Rain footed the bill as they were helped out to the car and Rain talked one of the boys into coming over for 100 bucks to install everything in the much comfier family room since Rain bought a half oval, three built in chairs, recliner, beer holder drawer infested, remote hiding Couch and teak coffee table.

"All my nieces and nephews are in Tokyo, I get to spoil no one so I'm spoiling you!" She claimed which also came in the shape of a giant round doggy bed for Dixie and the pups and Angel spoke up, "well once you leave I'm hitting the fabric store I got a new quilt to start making. It's covered in Raccoon's."

"Raccoons? Seriously?! Why not lo cabins or boats or stars?" Rain wrinkled up her nose. "You don't go anywhere, you're a recluse even at work. Why do you do this to yourself?"

Angel froze, "because it keeps Tobias away." She shivered and grabbed the metal trashcan tossing cookies before she turned and looked at Rain, "I want a D and C before you leave tomorrow. Georgia will help.

Rain watched her face. "Halex? Is that why you cling to him?"

Angel shook her head furiously, "Tobias. He doesn't believe in no and he thinks I belong to him! I could never hurt Georgia that way. She loves him too deeply."

Rain was suddenly furious, "I'll kill him how dare he hurt you like that. How dare he!" She was shaking like a leaf she was so angry and she pulled Angel into a hug, rocking her friend softly as she stroked her back. "Oh sweetheart come back to Tucson with me, the office across the walkway is open, you could start there with your own practice, and Tucson Medical Center is right across the street for surgery. It's all changed you'll see it all."

She pulled back, "I can't I still have a year and a half left on my contract with Tobias I will see it through."

"He'll murder you," she was so angry she was flushed red, "Will you stay till he kills you?"

"He won't kill me I'm not that stupid or stubborn, he'll see his wise mistakes and back off or he will be the one dead." She brushed her fingers over her arms and started dinner ending the conversation before she gave in and cried and started a huge court battle she'd lose. "He can afford the best lawyers, he has enough clout to jam me up and get me kicked out of my profession." She started cutting up onion to go with the steaks she was cooking.

You shouldn't worry about the outcome, only the preprocess where you jam him up, you got to get Georgia on your side I bet she knows others he's manhandled that woman is not that stupid you know." Rain sat down at the table to slice mushrooms to go with the tomatoes. "I just don't want to see you hurt anymore," and that was that Rain was blown out and Angel cooked them a marvelous dinner and watched movies until Rain got them a surgical suite for the D&C.

Eight hours later Angel lay on a surgical table and her friend and only person she trusted performed the procedure and she finished up and scrubbed out writing in the chart her findings were only conclusive of a buildup in the uterus of unshed parts, no show of pregnancy only medical stress, probably medicinal causes and she sat with Angel who was having a hard time coming around from the anesthesia.

"Angel sweetie open your eyes, come on sweetheart." She smiled as she saw the green iris's, "Your on oxygen but soon as you wake up I'm taking you home, Georgia already arranged for you to have the weekend off so you can recuperate, she's sorry that you were getting so sick and nobody guessed that your medication was causing such a buildup. But everything is cleaned up and you will be sure to have children in a few months to years. I took you off your medications and put you on a new one that won't have the same side effect."

Angel looked confused as she tried to sort out where she was, "Where am I?" She gasped and looked at Angel, "The procedure it went well them?" Yes, darling and we're going home I moved my flight up to Monday so I will be with you all weekend. Georgia's been asking about you, you went into work this morning and started bleeding badly she called me in to check you over and found I had to do a minimal procedure to stop the bleeding. You're okay now the bleeding is light and will stop by tonight.

Angel nodded and curled back into the warm blankets still shaking but soon she was off the oxygen and she was wheeled out to the Mustang and got helped into the car, Rain stopping to turn in the pain med script while they wheeled around Walgreens picking out snacks and a puzzle, some pretty wind chimes and a few books as Angel was called to get her prescription and she got it and paid for the rest of the things they picked out and soon they were on their way home and parked in the garage, a strange black car parked out front as the garage closed Angel caught sight of the wall that unfolded himself from the car and headed to the front door. Ringing the bell as Angel and Rain let the dogs in.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

A tall form slid out of the car, dark olive skin much like Halex and he held a thick manila envelope in his hands as he walked to the front door. Mikhail was not as menacing as Halex and did his dirty work under the sun and he leaned on the doorbell the heavy chimes rang through the house as Rain answered the door. "Wow your almost as ugly as the other two what do you want?"

Mikhail rolled back onto the heels of his expensive loafers, "I'm here to see Ms. High regarding an urgent matter that must be decided today." He ran a hand through his closely shaven hair and watched Rain, the studs in his ears twinkling in the sunlight. He held up the manila envelope, "I promise I won't steal her."

"Ha! Not funny, she just got home from a rather invasive medical procedure come in and I will see if she is up to a visitor, she's very tired." Rain let him in the foyer and walked through the kitchen to the family room and their hushed voices could be heard before Rain came back around the corner, "She will see you." Rain turned around and let him through the kitchen to the family room couch where Angel was laying down and she sighed, "Pardon me if I don't get up."

Mikhail opened the envelope, "Halex will be worried to know you went through surgery." He told Angel as he pulled the paperwork out of the folder. 

"Why would he care? He is very worried about you and the situation you find yourself in with your boss Tobias, apparently, he was informed by a nurse that the man lay's his hands on you in a not business related way. I bring to you today a copy of Halex's last will and testament. You have been named the sole beneficiary of his estate and finances and he would like you to go over them and sign the will stating you accept the terms of the document as it is an over sea's will."

Angel and Rain just stared from his face to the huge amount of papers in his hand and back to him. "This seems a little unorthodox unless he plans on walking into a war in the next months," Angel told him as she reached for the papers to read them with Rain and she sat up hard, "Holy cow I could retire on this and never go back and he wants me to have it?"

"Mr. Adler is at war and wants to make sure you are well taken care of in the future years after seeing you again at the high school reunion he realized he sorely lacked in watching over you and chose now to make sure he righted the wrongs. Just give a sign on the last page and I will be out of here to file it in both the US and back in Dubai where'd it was written up and where the finances are registered."

Angel signed it and looked at Rain who was barely holding on to keep from bursting out in song as she handed all the papers back. "You can tell Halex I am honored to be his beneficiary but he better not die anytime soon I cannot do long distance medical care."

"Promise me he wants to live, for you Ileana is out of the picture and back home with a severance. Now all his thoughts are on you and his business." 

"Will anyone of you be honest and tell me what his real business is?" Angel asked as she shifted whimpering and Rain ran to get the boo-boo buster out of the microwave, it was really just a sachet filled with rice and heated to a comfortable heat and she set it over Angel's abdomen and rubbed her thigh.

"You ready for a pain pill" she asked Angel as she got the bottle and popped the lid giving her a pill to relieve her pain and she settled down as Mikhail shifted, "I am not at liberty to share such an honest answer for it could endanger the Emirates he works for more so than they already are."

"So you're sticking to the Emirates story to, why do I think that is all the biggest pile of shit I've ever heard when I had to pull six bullets out of the man to keep him from dying. Emirates don't have gun battles in parking garages in the middle of Chicago they have them on the streets in Europe." She winced and so did Mikhail why was Halex making him do this, "DRUG Dealers have gunfights in parking garages in the middle of Chicago... and why do I think he's tied up in the middle of Dragon. The same drug he fights furiously to keep me off of? Because he can't stand to see someone he loves dying of the very thing that puts millions of dollars in his bank account, GET OUT!"

Angel had raised up off the couch and swung at Mikhail not in my house, out, out, but I don't want to see any of you again, nor for what it stands for Halex can die!" It hurt her to scream the words at him but she had to say them to feel better, yet smaller. She dropped back down on the couch and rubbed her forehead as she tried to piece her words together, "Mikhail I'm sorry these should be words directly for Halex, not taken out on you, never shoot the messenger."

Mikhail nodded and he pushed his glasses back up his nose, "No it's all right Ms.."

"..Doctor."

"Doctor High. If you need anything say the word."

"Okay, I want $500,000.00 to show up in my bank account by morning."

"As you wish, feel better and please rest."

* * * * *

Halex relaxed back in his desk chair as he waited for Mikhail's call telling him she either accepted or threw the will back in his face, both he could except but the curse on his side had called him about the surgery and he knew it was because of that slime Tobias. The bastard. The god damned bastard hurt his Angel and he was going to have to fix it but until Angel called him and told him about it there was not much he could do. He rocked back and forth in his chair as he looked at the picture of her and him at the dance at the reunion, she had seemed so happy and full of life and then her face holding that syringe made him shudder. She had been so cold and icy as though she knew his secret all along... was there a way she could find out? Not that he could figure out.

Truth be he was hiding in Dubai waiting for any news, he'd put his number in her phone in hopes she wouldn't delete it. He sent Mikhail back to the U.S. with bogus yet truthful reasoning to the method of his madness and his phone rang and he picked it up juggling it on the cord out of nerves before he brought it to his ear, "Adler," he rumbled out.

"Well she signed off on your will accepting the term of foreign estate business, but she's pretty messed up right now she apparently had out-patient surgery this morning and is home resting with her sabertooth watch cat Rain all over that business. But I know she has eyes for Midian. She apparently an OB/GYN a woman's doctor and performed the procedure on Angel. Think it was Tobias again. Oh and boss she wants five hundred thousand U.S. for the trouble of being here." 

"Done," Halex slammed the phone down, again, transferred the money and left his office down the hall toward the heavy thumping music coming up from the heavy oak door and vanished into a plethora of music and writhing bodies of the people that filled his clubs this time of night.

* * * * *

Mikhail watched as Rain got her comfortable and saw Angel fell asleep, "I'd better go. Unless you need any help." Rain turned back toward him, "Help me make dinner while she sleeps, she's had a rough few days."

"What happened to her?" He asked loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top button, rolling up his sleeves, "Not everything you say goes back to Halex. Just so you know. I respect her Rain. She holds him in trance and he would do anything to rescue her from her past." He began to gather everything she called off the food list for Cajun steak and shrimp.

He dry rubbed the steaks and started the grill on her huge stove followed by squash and zucchini while she cleaned the shrimp and then popping them into a scalding hot sauté pan, letting them cook as she boiled up fresh tomato and pesto noodles in a pot, "Stay for dinner then, at least get a good meal in you before you have to leave back to your boss."

Rain worked side by side with him, "Thanksgivings coming up, and then Christmas, she's going to be all alone, my family is coming from Tokyo back to Arizona, I have to leave on Monday, she'll be okay by then to be alone. She had a medication making her sick so I had to go in and clean out what it was building up. She was scared there was a baby, but there wasn't, no sign of one."

"Why would she be afraid of a baby?" He looked her straight in the eyes expecting the honest truth.

"She was... molested by her boss, has been for the last two years. She's got a final year left on the contract before she can legally pull away and come back to Arizona with me."

"That is where she would be happiest? In Arizona?" He asked as he gave the shrimp a flip then readied the butter dishes making them all fancy and setting up a salad and the veggies and steak and bowl of shrimp for Angel and carried it in for her opening up a small table for her and woke her carefully, as she came to she called Halex's name as her eyes cleared. 

"Why are you still here," she demanded and dug into her supper. 

Feeding the dogs and stopped to check Dixie's belly. "Your due soon mama. You're going to be a good mama, "and he stopped to put together the bed in the new crate, laying out a bright red blanket over it, then got his tray and sat down opposite Angel as he ate and she just watched him, "don't worry Angel I'll do the dishes then leave.

"Alright." She said nodding and got up wobbly to walk to the bathroom a few moments later Rain squeaked out help and Mikhail rushed down the small hall to the guest room and scooped up Angel, "Did you do what you needed or do I need to carry you into that bathroom?"

The girls blushed, "didn't make it yet," came Angel softly and Mikhail carried her into the bathroom and sat her down and walked out, "Call me when you're ready to get up again." Angel nodded and closed the door to do her business as Rain smiled, "Thank you."

Mikhail looked at Rain, "Halex owes me so much for this I'm his bodyguard but got snowed into coming back out here to watch the girl he's infatuated with."

Rain sat down, "Would he really take care of her tied up in some place in Dubai, getting drunk every night, passing drugs around the world for spending money on his top of the top house, just taking her in for a promise he made 10, nearly 11 years ago?" 

"He doesn't want to hurt her, but he's going to hurt anyone that hurts her. My wife was murdered he didn't stop till the man was brought to justice. He's kind of a lone horse, doesn't let anyone get too close except the guys and I. We're a brotherhood. I'll tell him about Tobias so don't be too shocked if you hear about him being around more often after Christmas, he keeps to himself during the holidays. Much like Angel." 

He started washing the dishes and cleaning the grill pieces from the center of the stove. "I'll collect her from the bathroom then I really must leave." He made sure all the paperwork was in his bag and he left a card for Rain with Halex's number scrawled on the back, "It'll take 24 hours for him to get here. But if he's needed he'll come." 

Mikhail knocked on the bathroom door and went in scooping her up. "You want to leave her on the couch or leave her in here in the guest room?" 

Rain perked a little, "let's tuck her in the guest room here and I can sleep with her or help her, thank you." She moved to pull back the duvet sheets and blanket and pat her side of the bed. "There we go. Thank you, lock the door behind you when you leave." She collected the boo boo buster and went to heat it up. Resting it on Angel's belly when she came back with it. The dogs happy to sleep on the floor as Rain slid into a tee and undies and curled up in bed wrapping an arm around Angel as the beep of the alarm sounded and she smiled kissing her shoulder.

"I'm, sorry I left. I'm sorry I let you get hurt. Please forgive me, Angel, it's tearing me apart."

"I forgive you Rain. We were young. We didn't know better at all." Angel buried her head under Rain's chin and kissed the swell of a breast, "I love you to the moon and back."

"I'll love you the rest of my life to."


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Rain left on the Monday morning flight back to Arizona and her mothers-to-be, Angel healed and retreated into a deep depression which took her out of E.R. rotation and off being on call at the clinic or hospital, in fact, she wasn't safe to do much but consults until she was better. 

Dixie had eleven pups right before Thanksgiving. Two black girls, one chocolate girl, and eight golden boys that matched Beau and both parents spoiled their puppies only making Angel sadder as she spent most of her time over the holidays spoon deep in pints of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food and Cherry Garcia.

Christmas came and Georgia came calling but Angel refused to talk with her. Once the svelte beauty left Angel settled into her white leather sofa set in the main living room in a white dress with red ruffles and a bottle of champagne and drank straight from the bottle. She flipped through her phone to Halex's number and pushed the call number and waited for him to answer.

"Adler," cut through the line as Halex answered, for him Christmas was over and he was just sprawled once more, naked as the day he was born, while he had a tattoo artist working on a white tiger down his side that would cover 4 of the healed bullet wounds, "Hello," He asked again before looking at the caller ID, "Angel? Talk to me please."

Angel giggled softly, "What are you doing tonight, or is it tomorrow afternoon for you?" She took another long pull from the champagne bottle.

"Well Christmas is over, its the mid-morning of the twenty-sixth and I'm getting tattooed. Maybe you'll get to see it sometime... are you drunk? Did you drunk dial me?" He asked maybe a little sharper than he meant to as she went silent even her incessant giggling had stopped and she was listening to him so hard she missed the key slide into the lock or the door open and close and suddenly there was a glove over her mouth as she let out a terrified scream as she tried to bite the hand.

Tobias shook her so hard the phone slid out of her hand unnoticed and it bounced on the thick carpet and landed under the beautiful teak coffee table. The line to Halex still open as she got out a second scream as the spaghetti straps on the dress tore as he shoved it down bearing her breasts in the dull winter sun coming through the skylight.

"NO TOBIAS! STOP!!" Angel screamed at him swinging the champagne bottle but he deflected it with his arm and ti bounced off and hit the tile behind the couch shattering green glass everywhere she was defenseless now and fought as hard as she could. Angel cut her hands on the knife he used to free her from the dress. 

Tired of her struggling he drew back his fist and popped her in the temple as hard as he could and she went limp in his arms and he took her again and again until she came to the feel of his flesh against hers made her gag, "Tobias! I said NO!."

****************

Halex was still on the other side of the line struggling into a pair of pajama bottoms and a tee shirt as he rushed down the hall to his security room where Kirill sat flipping through screens and rolling computer to computer. "Call the police precinct for Angel's home, home invasion and get me the first flight out." He opened his wallet and set down a blue and grey credit card Quantico National Reserve across the front. 

Kirill nodded and picked up the phone making the call as Halex's phone beeped low battery and he was frothing at the mouth until he heard her screams at the other man and the tears came until she was gagging and choking. She whispered as she tried to get out his name but only squeaked as Tobias vanished just as glass crunched under a heavy boot, "Ma'am?"

*********

On the other end of the line, a male officer took up her cell while EMT's helped her onto a gurney and got her covered up as the man spoke into the phone. "Thank you for the help, she's going to St. Joseph's and will be there a few days. Do I tell her you're coming?"

"Yes, I'll be there in 24 hours."

"Thank you, I will pass on the info. " He hung up the phone and ran for his room putting on a suit and slipping into his patent leather shoes, he grabbed his wallet and headed out grabbing Mikhail and telling him to follow on the next flight, that his aim was needed on a job. Mikhail nodded, "I'll be there right behind you. Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know. I don't know what state she's going to be in. All I know is that she's going to need a lot of care and I'm going to give it to her." 

Halex's phone rang on his way to the airport and he answered it was the detective again, "I'll be there tomorrow night, I'm overseas at the moment. Pass her a message for me and we'll talk when I get there. I'm about to get on a plane, tell her Halex is coming and she'll be safe. and a word to you officer, don't be surprised if Christopher Cole and his partner from the FBI arrive tomorrow as well." He hung up and turned his phone off and stared out the window and night passing in Dubai on the way to the airport, "I'm coming Angel, hold on."

****************

Angel had gone through the horrifying rape kit, she'd asked to be taken to St. Joseph's to avoid friends and colleagues. The doctor ordered the morning after pill that the nurse brought her with some water and she took it. With the bruise on her temple she was admitted and now she lay in a gown staring out into the rainy evening. 

The Detective had passed along Halex's message and the floor nurse brought her pain meds and she was drifting off until she slept. Her heart hurt, hell her soul hurt and she reached for the phone before drifting off and called Rain, "I need you when you can get away... please." She hiccuped in tears and her shoulders shook. 

"Did he hurt you?" Rain asked firmly.

"Yes. Halex is on his way too and the kit and report are done. I'm in St. Joseph's." She choked on another sob.

"Say nothing more I'll be on the next plane out." Rain hung up and went to her family first then made some work calls and would fly out at midnight. She, like Halex only packed a small bag and her brother drove her to the airport at ten and she'd be in Chicago in four hours, the wind was against them as they flew into the Christmas storm.

To explain what was going on in Rain's head would be her favorite country song by the Dixie Chicks. Good Bye Earl bounced around in her head.

She flew in silence by her calculations Halex would not be there till the morning of the 27th at the earliest, she had 24 hours. That was enough and as soon as she touched down she grabbed a cab to the hospital and up to her room, she was not surprised at all to find her sitting on the window seat blanket slipping to the floor as she cried in silence.

"Hey, short stuff let's come get you in bed and get you warm its 12 degrees out there. You're gonna get sick."

Angel's furiously wiped at her eyes just smearing her tears all over her rosy cheeks, "Hey Baby! When did you get here?"

"Just now, did you take a shower after the kit? Do you want me to look you over?" She smiled as she collected the woman who owned her heart and soul and got her up on the bed then went to the nurse's station and got two packs of bath wash wipes and came back to clean her up as best the could. Taking note of the bruises and cuts, she and Halex had a huge nap time discussion coming. 

"Stop please it hurts and I hurt everywhere, he knocked me out. I just remember being so sad and then the cops were there... how did the cops know?"

"You were on the phone with Halex... he heard it all he called the police, they just missed Tobias but are looking for him. Halex is coming he'll be here late tomorrow." Rain watched the emotions passed on her face. "Babydoll, he wants to help you."

Angel nodded, "I'm just tired of bad being my situation." She started to sob again. "Get me home, get me home right now before they put me on a psych hold." 

Rain got her clothes for her and helped her get dressed, "You don't have a jacket."

"I'll make it into a cab and into the house, we can pull into the garage," Angel shifted in pain as Rain went out to clear the air with the nurse who got on the phone with her hospital doctor to talk to Rain who was gone twenty minutes. When Angel came out to find her, Rain was nose to nose with a man 4 inches shorter than her obviously in a heated argument. Angel touched her arm softly and she stepped back a step as the Doctor moved to type in scripts and print out release papers as a nurse called and asked for a cab to come for a pickup. A nurse got her jacket and wrapped Angel in it and they left downstairs to go home. Dropping off the scripts at Walgreen's on the way.

Angel pulled a remote off her keys the police had collected from the bowl when they followed her to the hospital. Pushing the button her and Rain ducked into the washroom and then the kitchen and she closed the garage and started on the back stairs to the second-floor bedrooms. 

Angel entered the master suite and headed for the bath stripping all the filth away. She ran the water hot as she could take it and added her Bath and Bodywork's Bubble bath and got a stack of towels and slid into the water with a soft cry her skin soaking in the heat. She wanted to rest but she dared not close her eyes. She didn't want to see him behind her lids. 

She lay in the water until it turned cold and numbly climbed out and wrapped herself in a towel and just sat on the corner of her king sized bed and sobbed. Rain knocked on the door. Halex called the house from the plane. He said they were just taking off now due to a dust storm. Beau and Dixie are fed and in bed asleep. Dixie looks tired so I think the puppies are here and curled in a pile between mom and dad sleeping I set them up in their new puppy saucer." She smiled and helped her dress and got her into bed. "You don't have to sleep, I know it's hard, but you need to try to rest."

Angel nodded and touched her arm, "Thank you Rain you will always be my best friend and Rain smiled.

"I always wanted more kiddo, but I think you're right." She winked at her gave ger one final tuck and headed out of the room, turning off the light and going back downstairs with a scalding scrub bucket and brush to scrub up the sticky champagne and strawberry smear on the marble in the entryway. She had to be up if Angel called.

Angel just curled into herself and tried to tune out the fear and closed her eyes as she clenched and unclenched her sweaty hands in her sheets. She was terrified so very terrified.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Halex had caught his flight out, sat for the plane refueling, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Rain again. I'm in the U.S. I'll be there in six hours." They called his flight so he said goodbye, got back on the plane and traveled the hop to O'hare and disembarked in Chicago and immediately called the house to let them know he was there and just waiting for his cab. 

He had called the house phone and was not shocked to find Rain answering the phone she had been cordial as she talked to him and took care of the dogs, he assumed, he could hear metal clanking and water pouring. It had been simple really he was there, Angel had called and he was there whether it had been planned that way or not. 

Halex had been in love with Angel since the night he found her cowering in the bushes looking in the window. She had been frightened, beat up yet something had told her his mother, Yoli, would take her in even though he was popular and she had not been, she was ridiculed for her size but his mom had adopted her in, turned her sewing room into a beautiful room for her and gave her a key to the house. He'd learned her mother was a drunk, that she was abusive and just cruel. But she'd had the biggest most beautiful green eyes. 

He'd snapped out of memory lane when they checked his US passport and let him on thru to the town cars and headed across the city to Angel's comfortable home and got his bags it was early morning the sun breathtaking over the trees. He noted it was a quiet, private neighborhood. Mikhail had not done the abode justice when he had returned after the paperwork signing. He got out in her driveway, stretched, and walked up to the door and knocked quietly.

Rain opened the door her hands raw from scrubbing and tugging, cooking, and cleaning so far but hard work did not sway the woman. She smiled softly. She's asleep upstairs I'll show you to the guest room I'm on the couch once you're settled in I'll be getting ready to go, my family is back at my house for one more week from Tokyo, I'll leave you my number so you can call." 

He nodded and followed her into the guest room and took his personable items and set them on the bedside table. Even took off his watch so he wouldn't scratch her and went back into the family room where Rain was obviously comfortable on the couch. "Have you two had breakfast yet?"

Rain shook her short cropped black hair, "No she's still sleeping I was just going to go to sleep. If you could help me clean the furniture out of the living room there is a Goodwill truck coming to pick it up this afternoon, She wants it all gone, it's all leather and its all in prime condition so I figured donate it." 

He nodded and sat down in the recliner, "I ate on the plane and that would be fine. He reached forward to pick up a pen to spin around his fingers. "You sprung her from the hospital. I was expecting to bring her home tomorrow what happened?" He lifted his dark eyes to her pale ones and held her gaze, "Come on Rain, whats going on?"

"She was afraid of a psych hold. It would flatline her career." She happily met his gaze, "You don't scare me Halex. The last time I saw you, you were soaked in blood and she sent you home with your tail between your legs, she terrifies you." 

"Yeah, she does." It was all he said for a long moment as her cries from upstairs came down the stairs and he jumped up, "she's always terrified me." He ran for the stairs as Rain shouted at him.

"Second door going left!"

"Thanks, Rain," he said loudly as something crashed in the Master Suite. "Angel I'm coming!" He called as he got to the double doors bringing his worn hand up and rapping on them before entering. She was rolled in a ball in the center of the left side of the bed, a glass lamp lay in pieces on her bedside table as she cried her heart out. "Oh, Angel. Oh, Sweetheart." He climbed into the bed and pulled her into his arms and just held her petite form, rocking gently. His hand stroking her hair. "It's gonna be okay baby. I promise in the future you'll find out sex doesn't hurt and it's beautiful."

Her muffled voice bounced off his chest, "No it can't. It always will."

"That's not true Baby. You'll find the right person and you'll find your person." He just held her. 

After a while longer she unfolded her self and whipped her tear streaked face and shook her head. "I'm gonna go back to sleep, I really should sleep." She moved around in the bed, "Stay with me please... it feels safe in your arms."

"I hope it will always feel safe in my arms," He whispered and settled down on the bed, "I'll stay as long as you need me." She settled on her side of the bed and turned away from him, giant bruises on her back and neck angered him he was breaking a dozen rules simply by being in the same room as her. He couldn't explain it. He couldn't leave her alone.

Once she was asleep he got up and cleaned up the broken glass and threw out the lamp then went to see if Rain was ready to clean out the living room. 

* * * 

He had one end of the couch while Rain pushed the other. "What did she do with this couch? Fill it with rocks?" He chuckled a deep baritone laugh that just echoed of life and happiness and Rain threw him a look.

"Maybe we should look, oh wait Goodwill is here." She spoke of the big blue and white truck pulling up as they finally popped out the door and got the last and biggest piece out in the yard, she thanked the two young men and her and Halex meandered inside.

Halex took Dixie and Beau in the backyard and played in the "warm" day with them. It was a high of 30 and there was light snow but he tuckered them out took them on the porch, dried them off, and got them in bed 

"Okay Rain I'm gonna check on her I should try and get her down here, make her socialize with us before you leave." 

Rain got up, "My brother called while you were upstairs they have to fly back tonight his wife got sick and she will only see her doctor, apparently she's pregnant with a girl. They are excited he's mailing me my keys so I will be staying a bit longer." 

Halex shifted, "That will be good she'll need us both for a few days at least. Going to get her a therapist I've put out feelers. Going to have to get her to eat, to bathe... just out of that damn bed. I know rape is traumatic but I also know what kind of person she is, too."

Rain nodded, "We will, I can promise you."

"He bruised her badly have you seen her back and neck?"

"No, they were just starting to pop up when I was getting her in the nurse's jacket this morning. Are they bad?" She poured him a tea and they sat down. 

"They are black and deep purple. I'll see them all eventually I am sure. I am just so mad. That man needs arresting, he needs jail."

Rain just kinda stared at him. "You're not gonna do something stupid are you?" 

"No, I'm not. I can't with what capacity I am in the United States for." He ran his hands through his unruly locks and sipped his tea, "I am doing what a can. A man will be coming to talk to her tomorrow. He wants to know all the details of the whole dynamic. That mean's past molestations as well. I won't be in the room. I made a call. But I will be in my room. He's coming because I happened to know the right people to call. It's bad when they actually pick up the case, apparently, Tobias has been doing this in another state as well." There he'd said too much. 

"All right. I'll take side court for this. you are a confusing man, Mr. Adler." Halex shifted, "But my gut says trust you." She sipped her own tea. "You better go back up there with her. I'll start on dinner here in an hour. She's got an extensive library in there. Third door on the left."

He nodded and got a third glass of tea and rifled the medicine shelf in the kitchen coming up with Motrin and headed back upstairs. 

* * *

"Angel?" He asked setting the bottle and the glasses down. She was still asleep and slipped next door. He was looking over her books. She'd always loved books. Not Bodice Rippers or Harlequins. She just loved real meaning full books. But stashed in a drawer in the window seat he did find a Bodice Ripper, old and well worn and he opened the lid carefully and saw her mom's name scrawled in the corner and the publish date was 1977. The year they were born. An odd artifact about a woman she despised. He pulled out a book though on Surviving Abuse and headed back to the bedroom and curled up on the bed with her to read for the next hour or so in the soft light before he finally woke Angel and got her to take the Motrin and carried her downstairs. 

Angel didn't fight him just curled against his chest and held her arms around his neck as they navigated the stairs. He set her on the opposite side of the couch that Rain was using and got her a Lord of the Rings throw and pillows and got her comfy as warm happy smells were coming from the kitchen. He let out the dogs and Dixie came and lay by her just whimpering. She was worried about her mama.

Halex fetched her tea and handed it and the remote to the TV to her as he sat down in the corner of the couch in his socked feet as she surfed channels and pet her dog. 

"Just so you know they are allowed to roam around during the day. They don't stay in their kennels when I'm home. Especially with the puppies, they need the bigger area to feed and grow. I want her to be able to tell me and get to the basket we got her." It came out firmer than she meant but both Rain and Halex snapped to. 

"Noted." They both agreed with a chuckle. Angel smiled.

"Thank you for both of you being here. But please know I'll be okay in a few days." But this time had been different and she knew it. Tobias had nearly killed her. She clutched the blanket a little tighter and trembled a few seconds before she got a hold of herself. She looked over at Halex and offered him a smile as she reached out to touch his foot. He'd come. She was surrounded by her best friends. She'd be okay. She told herself.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Federal Agent Christopher Cole and his partner Sasha Reynolds showed up just after ten the next morning. As promised Halex was in the next room for support with Dixie and Beau and Rain had tea and glasses at the ready. She had dressed Angel in a pair of baggy sweats and put fresh socks on her feet, she'd brushed her hair back in a pony tail and she sat quietly on the couch clutching a pillow as Rain led the agents in to talk about the outstanding abuse and prior attacks as Halex had said they would. When Angel was having a crying jag Rain took the opportunity to ask a few questions about why it had become a federal matter and what was going on. Tobias apparently had an older investigation from the years they were in medical school in another state and a girl he'd even kidnapped and brought over state lines for the same charges plus kidnapping. It was all in all a cut and dry case but they were going to arrest Tobias and charge him. She was safe.

Angel nodded wiping at her tears one last time as she stood and shook the agent's hands. "Thank you... I don't feel safe yet. Maybe when he's arrested."

They nodded shaking her hand back, "We can understand that and we will let you know when we have... I'll come by and check on you make sure you're doing okay."

"Thanks." She was reverting back to mouse and she started to get sad, Rain saw the agents out and Angel went to peek in on Halex. "Halex?" She asked she found him asleep prone on the bed and smiles to him it was midnight. It must be so hard she thought she had enough problem moving in the states. Instead of waking him or going back upstairs she went climbed up on the other side of the bed and lay beside him and she got the drum of one word in her thoughts again, simply, "Safe." She slid one arm around him and tucked her head under his chin. She knew this man would never maliciously hurt her. He had dropped everything and came running at her needing him.

He moved in his sleep and wrapped her in his arms and kissed her hair. "Did Christopher leave?" He yawned and stroked her hair.

"Yeah, he did." She smiled and untucked to look at him. "I think with you and Rain I'll be okay. I can't keep Rain to long or her practice will suffer though. Will you be okay... just us?"

"Yeah, of course, I will." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "We'll be okay."

"She smiled and curled back up, "Good cause after the last two hours I just want to cry and shake they made me go through EVERYTHING! They believed me though, apparently, I'm not the only one." She started to sniffle.

"Of course they did. They want to put him away as badly as you do, so they need everything they can get." He rubbed her back just talking to her quietly in his rich voice.

* * *

Tobias was packing frantically, "Georgia I have to go, just... Georgia" He was yelling out the bedroom door as he continued to shove clothes into his bag, "I'll be back, but don't you dare believe what anyone says."

"Why? What do you mean Tobias? What did you do?" Georgia grabbed his arm and got shoved back several feet for her efforts, she wiped a bit of blood from the corner of her mouth, "Tobias you're scaring me."

You have no clue Georgia that tramp Angel, she's got everyone in a froth telling them I raped her. That I have been for awhile." He shoved his passport into the bag and opened the wall safe taking out the money he had stashed there. "I'll call you when I get to where I am staying."

"You can't just run away," She grabbed his arm again and he spun around looking her in the eyes, "Tobias I know you've been hurting her for years and this is the last time. It has caught up with you now there are witnesses."

"Witnesses?" He stared at her, "How are there witnesses? She lives alone and the dogs can't talk!" He grabbed the bag and headed downstairs, "Like I said I will call you."

"You can't just abandon your practice!" Georgia shrieked at him as she followed him to the Lexus. Georgia watched him throw his bag in and started to back up, the garage door rolling up with harsh clicks.

Tobias drove to the long-term parking garage at O'Hare and turned off the engine. He started to get out as the sound of the front window crackling into fragments caught his attention. The last thing he ever saw was the broken glass as his life was cut short.

Kirill had done as told and came on the next flight. Across the parking garage, he put away his sniper rifle and cleaned off his hands. Meticulously putting away the pieces of his weapon as he dismantled it he then hopped down from his perch and flipped open his cell phone. Dialing out he only said the words when the line clicked open.

"It is done."

"Clean and through?" A voice asked.

"Yes," Kirill replied in simple affirmative.

On the other end of the line, Halex smiled as he stroked Angel's sleep-flushed cheek. He was trapped now, trapped and he had to do right by her.

* * *

Nearly an hour later they came out of the bedroom her face clean of tears and she settled on the couch. "Rain?"

Rain popped up from the couch and she looked around, "Oh you startled me, hun!" She sat up, "How about we order pizza tonight and just watch movies?"

"Just make me feel human... Why don't you and Halex go and get the pizza and beer and greasy cheesy bread sticks of yum," Angel hopped over to snuggle Rain who wrapped an arm around her best friends shoulders.

"It's gonna be okay kiddo. I promise. Look how far we've come in our lives we can't let one asshole destroy our happiness. When your contract here is up, come back to Tucson with me and we'll start a new. Promise."

Angel's green eyes had slid closed and a tear clung to her lashes as she fought not to cry, "Of course I'd go back to Tucson with you. It would mean the world to me, dear," she kissed Rain's cheek and settled back against the couch and looked up at Halex, "Surprise me with the pizza's and stuff... maybe get some Root-beer and vanilla ice cream too." 

Halex eyed her and stood up tucking his white button down in and then slipping into his boots and lacing them up. "Let's go Rain. I'll pay for dinner tonight." He grinned and slid into his leather coat and waited for her to slip on a pair of well-loved sneakers and grab her own jacket.

"We'll just be down the road to get supplies Angel, how about you pick out the movies we're going to watch?"

Angel smiled and nodded getting the keys to her bay and handed them over, "Be careful going out."

Halex folded the keys up in his hand and headed into the garage and started to warm up the car as Rain seemed to be deliberating whether she was really gonna go or not. But she hugged her best friend one last time and scurried out the door into the garage and soon the clicks could be heard from the door opening and the engine roaring as the backed out and headed down the street, the. clicks of the door lowering again left her feeling somewhat safe.

* * *

Halex had turned on the heater and soon the Mustang warmed, "Where to?" He asked of Rain who was just watching the houses go by. "I need to stop by a hardware store and get the locks and things she needs for the front door as well. I'll drop you off at Dario's Pizzaria and run across the street then come and pick you up?" Rain looked at him and nodded, "aye, that would be perfect."

He smiled and moved into the right lane to pull into the parking lot. The Mustang taking the corner smoothly and in moments he was stopped in front of Dario's and handed Rain his federal bureau card and smiled, "get everything she likes."

Rain eyed the card than him and nodded as flakes began to fall again. "All right Halex hurry back." She went inside and he pulled away and went to the hardware store.

He picked up the lock set and paid in cash before he went back to help Rain. He parked this time, locked up, and headed inside. Ducking into the hot body filled pizzeria he found Rain at the bar sipping a glass of water while teenagers and college students rushed around filling orders and he sat beside her and she turned to look at him tapping his card on the counter. "Wanna tell me about this?"

"In the car."

Rain nodded and handed the card to the pimple-faced, teenage girl as she set down three large pizzas, salads, wings, cookies, and assorted dipping sauces. She signed the receipt leaving the girl a hefty tip and grabbed the two smaller bags and ducked out into the now heavy snow.

Halex handled the pizzas. His hair was plastering to his face as he set the pizzas on the back seat and got in and started the car letting everything warm up. "Tell me where to go to get the Guinness or Sam, Adams, or Maijer."

"Down two lights on the left liquor barn only place you can get booze is a licensed liquor store now who the fuck are you?"

He pulled out and headed for the store, "I'm Halex Gregor Adler. I was born in New York City on December first, nineteen seventy-seven. I have three sisters, four if you count Angel. My dad worked for the government, he died right after I turned nineteen. My mom got my sisters and me to my Uncle before she was killed. I made sure my sisters were safe and went back to Quantico to become a government asset to avenge my parents they died on American soil. The hunt led me into to deep cover in Dubai. I came to Angel because I love her."

"Don't you dare hurt her."

"I don't plan on it," he parked at the front door, "go get what we need." He shoved his wallet at her. There were two single photos in it, three girls and angels senior prom photo. Both yellowed and peeling at the edges. Rain collected libations for all three and paid with the cash and headed out to the car. "Okay let's go feed the bear then I have laundry to do. Oh boy, drunk laundry." Rain giggled and handed him his wallet and got out hers and pulled out a more recent picture of Angel and handed it to him. "You needed an update."

"Thanks."


	21. Chapter Twenty

Angel was feeling better in the last few days. She was sharing in Dixie's basking glory and even turning on the TV glad to not see her face or utterances of Tobias and her claims. It had been a week, she couldn't hide forever she had patients to take care of. She was a brave soul and after the New Year, she would return to the practice with Georgia unless she got fired and the contract was broken... then what would she do?

Halex had changed her front door locks and was even taking care of the puppies while Angel had spent most of her time in bed curled up sleeping and answering phone calls, Rain had gone home three days ago. Now it was New Year's Eve today and Halex had to drag her out of bed and stripped the bed to wash her sheets as she had the TV going in the family room as she snuggled the already curious puppies who were starting to explore their basket. They made soft sounds and squeaks a lot but Angel loved it. She was jerked out of puppy love when the news came on to a late-breaking story.

"Dr. Tobias Coates has been found shot to death in the airport parking garage, He had gone unnoticed since Christmas they say, the shot that killed him was not self-inflicted, but from a high power rifle likely from far away, the police have started a search for the possible killer this afternoon and all people having anything to do with Dr. Tobias and the present charges of assault and rape would be questioned on their matter in the case. The murder is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. More to come on this late breaking story at ten o'clock." Rebekah Niemeyer signed off on her story and the show she was watching came back on but dread filled her stomach and she looked around the family room.

"Halex?" Angel called her voice coming out like a small child as she shivered in fear and worry, not hearing him she called louder, "HALEX?!" Her voice breaking with the fear as she called him several times, "HALEX!!"

Worried she'd hurt herself or a puppy he ran down the stairs arms full of bedding, "What? Are you okay? What's going on?" He threw the clothes at the laundry room door and turned to look at her, his eyes searching her face as he turned to see what she was pointing at "What?" Moving to check her over, "Oh Angel it's just the news I told you not to watch it because you'd hear bad things about the case." He moved to pop in Lord of the Rings and looked at her again, "What? What did you hear was it something about the case?"

"Tobias is dead someone shot him dead in airport parking." She was reaching for the phone as she looked at him kind of funny, "Did you have something to do with this? Don't think I don't know about your gun I saw you cleaning it yesterday..." she rambled off into nothing as she watched him. Her eyes full of pain for a moment thinking he could have done it, but then he wouldn't have been her savior, her Halex.

He shook his head, "No Angel." "That shot was fired from a rifle in like a pea out like a potato and I carry a Glock that is as common as a police service firearm. I couldn't have done that. It was a powerful rifle, he apparently had some real enemies."

"Well it's what you're trained for isn't it... protecting princesses at all costs." She picked up the phone then and dialed Georgia's cell and listened to it ring. Her voicemail picked up the call, "Georgia is Angel. Call me when you get this." She hung up and set the chocolate girl on the floor with her siblings and carefully got up to help Halex with the laundry, pressing a kiss to his shoulder as she hugged him tightly.

"Yes I protect princesses, princes, sheiks, and tycoons at all costs and it puts money in my pocketbook. But it doesn't stop me from being a man to with fear and hard work at training. Some of my men are trained in the long distance firearms that would have done that but none of them came with me, I left them back in Dubai."

"If you did have something to do with this, I won't be angry, as long as you're honest." She stroked his back as the washer started and she shifted, "I'm worried about Georgia she's not going to take this well." He turned her around cupping her arms in his hands, "I had nothing to do with this and Georgia is of course in shock and pain her husband was murdered and you are the one pursuing a rape case against a man she loved and trusted. We need to get out of this house, you need to breathe in the real world again..."

"Her husband is a rapist and who knows maybe you weren't the only one, a letter came from the hospital board while you were sleeping I signed for it it's on the dining room table." He said as he turned in her arms to look down into her green eyes. "Angel your life just hit one of those bumpy live or die moments and I think it's time you live."

She let go of him still not wanting to talk about what happened as she walked into the dining room and opened the large manila envelope. Sorting out legal issues and came upon the fancy ecru envelope last opening her invitation to the hospital's annual awards dinner and she smiled, "How do you feel about tuxedos, classical music, and long-winded speeches?" She asked him not looking up and smiled, "We'll have to go to Andre's he has the best dresses and Tux's."

Halex looked at the letter then back at her, "What are you thinking?"

"We've been invited to the Annual Awards Dinner at the hospital and says to bring a plus one. So I'm inviting you." She blushed and sat the invite down, "But you don't have to, I usually go alone. They think I am a lesbian. Who knows maybe they're right why else would I stay a virgin except for Tobias's advances?"

"Well this isn't usually, I don't like penguin suits but for you, I'll wear one. Just this once." He smiled and waddled around like a penguin, "Squawk." He winked at her, "though I think you're going to have to wear more than kitten adorned sleepwear and bed head. Let's get a brush through that mop of hair Pippy."

"Pippy?" She gave him a funny look as she looked down at her nightgown and sighed, "You're right and we got three days to fix it all." She went and got her detangler and a large comb and sat on the ottoman that went with the rocker and waited for him and he smiled and settled into the heirloom rocker and sprits her hair till it was well wet and started to comb out her hair, "This is a beast why do you keep it so long?" She blushed and his her face in her hands, "Oh come on don't be shy you can tell me."

"You know Pippy Longstocking..." He chuckled.

"I'm terrified to cut it and you always told me you liked it long." She looked over her shoulder at him, his face shocked and then expressionless again as he brushed it out.

"Let me get this straight. You've been growing it out because I liked it... That's ten years Angel..."

"I know. Ten years and it weighs a ton." She shook her head.

"We are making an emergency trip to have this rectified, go put on some jeans and a button-down shirt." He smiled at her and set the comb down and watched her retreat up the stairs and the soft whisper of the door closing as she changed while he looked at the other papers that came with the invite. She was being offered a full position at the hospital now that Tobias was gone.

Half an hour later they were in the Mustang driving over to a hair salon he called ahead to get them in and he smiled at the girl at the register, "We're here to tame the beast." He gestured at Angel's hair and the girl smiled, "You've got a lot to work with, "Glen will see you now."

She smiled as a man came to the front and clicked his tongue, "we are going to make you magnificent." He walked her to the wash basin and washed her hair before collecting her hair in two towels and walked her to his station and got her comfortable before he picked up a razor blade and lifted her hair and started to hack at her hair, the thick braid falling to the floor, "For locks of love yes?" She nodded, "Might as well that's got to be several wigs."

Halex settled into a chair with a book and read as the man turned the chair and began working on thinning the beast and bringing it to just past her shoulders, he worked on it for over two hours before he let Angel look and she started sobbing as she looked at her reflection and Glen looked beside himself. "You do not like it?" Angel shook her head, I haven't cut my hair in fifteen years." Glen nodded understanding as he looked at her hands and smiled, "Now to style it in a nice updo and then your mister said the full workup, waxing next and then my wife will do your mani/pedi."

"Mani/Pedi?" She asked looked confused what had Halex gotten her into and she looked back at Glen, "What's a mani/pedi?"

"A manicure for your nails so they are pretty and a pedicure for your feet and toes so they are pretty. It won't hurt."

Angel turned and looked at Halex who smiled, "The full princess treatment." He grinned as Glen blow dried her hair as the waxing expert waited and brought her back when Gen was done. She smiled, "Let's start with your brow line and work to the bikini line" She smiled and an hour later her body was waxed and shimmering with lotion to help with the sting and now Angel glared at Halex who seemed to take it in stride as he mouthed princesses.

She was taken back to a nice pedicure chair and for forty-five minutes of delicate pampering her feet and toes were beautiful before she moved to have her manicure, her nails matching her toes as she came out and Halex paid with his credit card and they were on their way, "You look amazing, now where is this Andre's?"

* * * * *

Angel smiled and directed him to the small mom and pop couture shop and got him measured for his Tux first and got it taken care of as she looked at dress after dress, Andre's wife helping her as they went back to start trying them on.

They ladies were in the back for nearly two hours when she finally emerged wearing a soft pink number that fell just below her knees and snugly against her bust, her twist of red curls kissed the material with its ringlets and she carried another dress in a bag and she paid for her dresses. "Thank you again, Andre and Rosalinda. I will be back again as always." She turned to Halex as they were walking out of the shop.

"Now for all this torture Mr. Adler you are taking me to dinner at Pepe's, I already called and they have a table for us so let's go." She carried her bag out and lay it in the backseat with his Tux and she smiled, directing him to the restaurant where the owner met them as Host for the night.

He looked her over, "You look an amazing Dr. High, like a queen in hiding." Angel blushed as they were shown to their table and she sat, Halex scooting her in before he took his seat and he smiled t her, she was emerging like a butterfly from the cocoon and he ordered their wine and looked over the menu. "The food all sounds so good Angel what do you suggest?" She smiled and suggested the prime rib and fresh veggies and it's what he ordered for both of them along with spectacular chocolate decadence at the end.


	22. Chapter Twenty-One

Halex ate his dinner, his prime rib rare and the horseradish sauce spicy enough to clear his sinuses, he was in heaven. "This is truly good Angel thank you for suggesting it." He with his hands on his napkin and patted his mouth, the box burning a hole in his suit and he smiled as he looked at her and her tiny morsels at a time as she ate in the most dainty ways, enduring her more to his heart than ever and he cleared His throat, "Angel... can I ask you an important question?"

She looked at him and tilted her head, "You can ask me anything. I will always answer you truly." Her eyes searched for his own hazel wonders. As she sipped her wine, she watched him get up and kneel at her side, turning her to face him and her eyes widened as she set her wine glass down.

He cleared his throat and looked around as he cupped her hands in one of his, the box in his left, opening out of her view, "Angel... Would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

She choked on her wine and nodded as he slid a ring on her finger, a solitaire diamond that twinkled in the candlelight everything was moving very fast and she leaned down to kiss him sweetly, "Yes Halex Adler, this time together just reminded me of how much we deserved to be together." She was twisted up inside but jumping for joy. "How long. How long have you known you would ask me?" She stared at the ring tears slipping down her cheeks.

He smiled and nodded, "Thank you, darling, thank you. I've known since the reunion. It felt right then but I had to see you again to make sure." He smiled and was beyond happy as he stroked her fingers, brushing over the ring on her finger as couples whispered around them with smiles and she turned back as their food arrived. He'd never thought he'd plunge and there was so much she had to learn and know about, but his deepest secret he could never tell her, not until everyone was safe.

"Halex... I am so happy you asked and yet deathly afraid why, you do not seem the marrying type, you're more love them and leave them." She kissed his fingers, "Tell me why you did it so I can understand."

He turned to face her in the pale light of the street and leaned in close to her, so close he could feel her warm breath and he stroked her cheek. "I've been in love with you a long time, so long that I thought I would go mad. I've been chasing women to try and fill the hole you placed in my heart, unfillable. Stupid women, clueless and vane." He kissed her softly, his lips molding to her supple ones again, a hand sliding over her bare shoulder as he took her in. This was it. She was finally his and he stopped himself, pulling back as he scanned her face, "Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head and watched him, "No you didn't hurt me that was nice. Thank you." She got quiet again as she was still thinking about their union and suddenly started talking again, "We can get married the morning after the dinner, a civil ceremony at the courthouse then we can move on from there... will you take me to live in Dubai with you, or will you stay here with me," She asked curiously on the way home from the restaurant, "I want to know everything."

She watched him curiously as he stayed silent, she was bringing up points he hadn't yet thought of. Would he take her to Dubai and end up protecting her on a detail to keep her safe or would he give up his protection service and become docile in the streets of Chicago?

She grinned and slid her hand over his thigh. Making his pulse quicken and a sick feeling enter his stomach followed by nausea and then heartburn. He was stressed and worried. He had to do this right and he turned into the cul-de-sac and into the garage closing the door. Maybe he couldn't do this after all. He turned to Angel and caressed her cheek, "A fast civil ceremony would be good. Sealing us together. In this dress and in my slacks and a button up will be fine. "Oh, Angel. It will be beautiful."

He pulled into the garage and closed the door and he carried their clothes for the dinner inside and hung them up on the Master Suite door hook and he went into the guest bath and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, forgetting to close the door all the way and she gasped when she saw the scars on his back, long healed but still speaking of torture. "Halex...My God, what happened to you? You look like you were beaten within an inch of your life!"

"It was my initiation into the brotherhood where I raised in ranks to become their leader, it only hurt for a short while. I promise." He lied several got infected and laid him up for a month, but he got his payback on the bastard and nearly killed him, yet another thing Angel did not need to know about him and he pulled his shirt back up and turned to look at her. His skin recoiling, expecting pain.

She shivered and smiled stroking the tiger winding over his torso, up to his shoulder and down into his trousers, "They did a good job hiding the bullet scars and the ink didn't blow out." She kissed his collarbone and made her way out of the bath, leaving large fluffy towels on the counter and turned on the heating lamp so it would be warm when he got out. The scars burned into her mind. Who would hurt such a man, what kind of brotherhood he belonged to, and she thought of the brick walls of men she encountered back in Tucson. It was an army of what? Of death? And she was willing to accept it if it meant she would have her Halex. She closed the door with a click, leaving him to himself as he continued to undress.

He was laden with scars from torture and war if only he'd had her in his life before he wouldn't be so marred and ugly and he slid into the shower sliding to his knees to sob. He couldn't marry her after all, it would kill her to live his life of war and deceit. He had not slept with her yet, had not sealed her to his soul. He would leave after the dinner. He had to. He had to save her and himself. He had to go back to Dubai, to war and the club. To go back to the war of drugs and firearms. He'd lived the life ten years, it was all he really knew and he couldn't take her into it. She would collapse under the barrage of cruelty and the beast.

He made her beautiful, he opened up a new her to the world. She would find a good husband now. He knew it and he hung his head, letting the scalding water pound against his scars and sobbed. This was war, and he was saving his guiding light. He knelt there until the sobs stopped and the water ran cold on his scars and he got out, wrapping up in a fluffy towel and going downstairs to get an orange and he went over to the big bed and blanket, watching the puppies. Life, she'd want children and he would destroy children. He was a monster and he didn't realize he'd done it till he felt the orange juice dripping on his toes but he had squashed the life out of the orange and he lowered his head. "Angel I'm sorry."

His heart was shattering into a million pieces and he had no way to calm himself and he let the panic attack come and he lay his head up in the icy water. 

He slowly slid up the wall and turned off the water, wrapped the bath sheet around his narrow hips and slung another towel around his shoulders. Halex wiped a handiwork over the mirror and just stared at his reflection. He needed to shave and dug into the bag of toiletries and essentials he had bought and slowly he slathered his face with shaving cream and began the job of cleaning all but mustache and goatee, leaving them connected and he wiped off the last of the shaving cream and splashed on some Armani code and slid into a pair of jammy pants and headed down the hall to Angels room, "hey beautiful did you get your shower in?"

Angel nodded from the chair she was curled in, "yeah just reading over this contract for the hospital. They want me to take over. I'm not sure what to do it's a good offer." She tucked the contract away and folded up her lap blanket and got up walking over to Halex and kissed him softly but the moment they touched the air cracked with their electricity and he wrapped her in his arms and he deepened the kiss with a low growl of approval.

Angel broke the kiss only when she had to breathe and she looked up at him, "Halex why did you come?" Her eyes started to glisten with tears and she blinked, the green orbs brighter ringed in the red of upset.

Halex cupped the right side of her face in his left hand. "I came because I love you, Angel. I have been uncomfortable, unable to commit to a strong relationship, surrounding myself with people to drown out that you weren't there. I wanted to bring you with us when we had to leave. I cried for days. I have loved you so much and for so long that I would do anything to have you." He leaned down and kissed her again. His whole body trembling as he backed her up to her bed and followed her over when she fell back.

Halex crushed her body to his one arm around her waist and the other tangled in her hair as he lightly pressed himself to her, "I'm scared I'll crush you."

"You won't break me." She slid her hands over his chest, sure, strong hands pulled through his chest hair then over his shoulders to drag him down for a deep soul-touching kiss.

Halex suddenly ran cold he couldn't do this, "not till after the wedding I want to do something right."

She nodded and righted her nightgown, "I can understand that. She climbed up on the bed and curled up under the blankets. "Goodnight Halex."

Halex flipped off the light switch to the overhead light and closed her door and went downstairs and sat in the family room. Beau came up and curled up next to him, "Hey Beau I'm gonna be around a lot more." Beau lifted his head and yipped, wagging his curled tail, "Don't wake up mom she had a busy exciting night." Beau laid his head down and licked Halex's hand and curled up to sleep.

Halex got up and made himself a pot of extremely rich coffee and sat down on his bed in the guest room where he pulled out his handguns and started taking them apart for proper cleaning. He filled the magazines, meticulously cleaned every piece before putting each gun together. 

It was a routine he did weekly to make sure the munitions would work properly if and when he needed them. He didn't plan on ever having another firefight. He'd barely survived the last and he rubbed his chest where one scar, the hole that almost killed him, still burned from time to time. He almost died with his blood in on her, damned Kirill. He hadn't known that it was Angel he was bringing her to, only to the lights of help and lifesaving he had prayed instead of a cleaning service. 

He finished the handguns and cocked each one it snicked smoothly into place and loaded the chamber with a single round. Beau started barking, the puppies to and he walked to the base of the stairs and Angel was screaming and thrashing the bd scoot against the floor as she shouted out and Halex ran upstairs and flung open the bedroom door and slid into the king size bed with her and let her fight him till his scent filled her olfactory senses and she calmed and lay in his arms.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two

In the early hours Halex woke to the phone ringing, it was blaring his favorite Kansas song but he left his downstairs and that's when he realized it was Angel's on the bedside table and he reached over the sleeping woman in his arms and he stroked her back as he answered, "Dr. Angel High." The woman on the other side was frantic it was Rain she had just seen the Chicago Sun-Times and the story front page and she called as quick as she could, "Halex its Rain. Go downstairs and get her paper, don't let her see it, don't let her watch local news, take her out, go to the zoo do something. That BITCH went to the paper and went forward wh publishing your photo and talking about the parking garage incident and that you knew men that could have killed her husband on your command just to quiet things down and save Angel the embarrassment of an affair that they'd been having since she first went to work for them."

"Wait what the evidence was proof it was forced and non-consensual." 

"I know but this is just her way of processing his death. Keep her safe I"ll be back out there tonight and activating a legal team to smoke Georgia's bull shite. You will not be a part of it you'll be taken out of the process." She sighed, "How is she?"

"Night terrors so bad she was scooting the bed around while screaming. I came up to bed with her and it calmed her down. She's still sound asleep and my arm is dead but I'm not moving unless it's to save her life. Do you have the flight info? I'll have Mikhail meet you his flight gets in a 1 am at O'Hare."

"I get in at one thirty gate A-26. I have three bags with me." Rain was sounding calmer.

"He gets in on concourse E-52 He'll be waiting for you in Luggage at your carousel. From there we have a car in long-term he'll help you to it and get you here. It's gonna be a full house but I need help if I'm protecting both of you and Mikhail while a baby is just as deadly as I am... and one day when the truth needs out you'll understand when we tell you. "I almost slept with her last night. We got engaged and were in the heat of the moment but stopped short told her I wanted it to be special and hopefully after we get married."

"Congratulations, I wish you the best marriage Halex, but get out of the mafia and raise her right. Here in the US. Come back to Tucson, bring Kirill, I'll marry him. "

"You would marry Kirill Dimitroff with no more than three meetings why?" He was both shocked and amazed at the kindness. 

"You can all work in my practice while miss Angel pants makes her way through intensive therapy and classes to heal. There is a therapist who does part-time work for my clinic to help mothers with a loss, with guilt, with rape. He has a good program. "

Halex smiled, "We will come and I will bring Kirill and we will get her in that program and get her help. Help, so we can have a family."

"All right see you soon." She smiled as she hit end and he set the phone back on the bedside table and now he had to untangle himself from his precious teacup human and get to the bathroom and after fifteen minutes he finally had to wake her, "Angel baby I need my body back or I'm gonna ruin your memory foam."

Angel garbled something in her sleep and carefully extracted herself from his body and freed him as she curled back up in his warm indent in the mattress as he let himself out and down the hall to the upstairs bathroom. 

Angel slowly unfolded herself and sniffed his pillow it all smelt of him, those foreign spices in a musk base and she loved it. She snuggled into his pillow, she was cold away from his body heat. 

When he didn't come back she went in search of him she found him in the kitchen with one of the puppies, "Is she okay?" 

"Yeah shes just looking for mama and got lost and Dixie didn't miss her but now I'm about to lead her back to mom watch." He got a chew stick and let her sniff it and led her back to the saucer and put her in and Dixie yipped and the pup that was nicknamed Rosebud nuzzled up to a nipple for breakfast and Halex gave mom the chew stick.

"I want babies but I want them one at a time," Angel said with a chuckle and Halex just stared at her in a whole new light, "I want two children, hopefully, one of each separately of course."

Angel settled on the couch and curled on her side. "Twins don't run on my side and none of your siblings were twins." 

He nodded and settled in covering her up with a blanket and stroked her belly. "We will have a family and our family will be cherished." Tears sparkled in his eyes and he thought of his dead parents. How they'd been killed because of his uncle and he wouldn't let that happen to Angel or their children, please god give them children.

He turned to crawl across the couch and up her body to kiss her, "You're my world. I want you to know that always. No matter the obstacles we have to cross I want you to know you mean the world to me." He smiled and stroked her belly then traced his hands up her satin and lace gown and cupped her breasts hidden under the soft material. "We're gonna be married and we're gonna have a family and we'll live where ever we land and make it work, Dubai, Prague, St. Petersburg, Tucson."

"I can put this house on the market January 2nd or just rent it to doctors at the hospital, and their rent would pay for everything. I'm sure we can find a place in Tucson easy enough. You have a place in Dubai and one in Prague. But Tucson will be nice, I could have a practice near Rain and I'd have friends."

"Rain called this morning. She's flying in tonight at 1:30 am, Mikhail will be in at 1 am and will meet her, help her collect her things and then pick up the long-term car and drive over, She also wants to marry Kirill." He said it all matter-of-factly, as he leaned down to seize her mouth with his in a searing kiss. the kisses made him feel less guilty about turning her down the night before. He stroked her cheek and trailed his hands down her chest, tracing her pert nipples they were pale pink but darker than her skin and he lowered his head to suckle at the taught center nipping playfully just to hear her happy sounds, all he wanted was happy sounds, if he did anything that frightened her or angered her it would kill him. 

"I have to go to the store sweetheart but I won't be gone long we need food for breakfast I fell asleep with you instead of running to your grocery store." He kissed her again. "We'll be together again in twenty minutes. I have my cell phone."

She nodded and picked up her house phone and called him now we're not apart." She kissed him and soon enough he had left in the Mustang and drove around the corner where he was on first name basis with all the employees and quickly got the food for the day and paid for it as he moved to pay, paid with his card and headed home. He pulled up in front of the house and into the carport and happily backed in and brought in the groceries, "Celia the butcher suggested chicken cordon bleu for dinner so I took the suggestion," He called out nudging the door open and closed without dropping a bag, "Now who's ready for omelets?"

She sat up and smiled and climbed off the couch and grabbed two bags, putting groceries away then got out everything for the omelets and started cutting up the prosciutto and veggies. "So why are you and rain circling the wagons?" Angel was always curious.

"Georgia told the press you were lying about the situation between you and Tobias and that I was the one who probably killed him." He pulled her into a hug. "There were cops here the entire time to clear me. But do you have any proof?" 

She whimpered and started shaking, "I've had 8 rape kits before I gave up believing the police would beat my rapist to the next time." She was wiping tears away. Sobbing her heart out.

"It's gonna be okay baby Rain has a whole team of lawyers." Halex whispered to her to help calm her down as he stroked her back.''

"That's not going to save us all from the fates of hell Georgia has decided all the bruises and whimpers and avoiding Tobias was bull shit and she'll win just to make a point across to everybody. Whether they want to hear or not. My safety, my body, my emotions, are crap."

"Baby she's just as much a victim as you are but shes got to see that herself. He probably did the same things to her that he was doing to you and he warped her mind to the point she thought it was a good thing, it's how these sick bastards work. "They're gonna want to talk to me they're gonna find out where I was, who I was with and they're gonna have to make up their own minds when all evidence points to me being found not guilty."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure and I"ll be bringing in my own lawyers from Dubai there is a prince there that owes me a favor after taking a bullet for him."

"You took a bullet for someone?"

"That's not the decision right now but yes I took it for his princess actually. But they owe me. So for this, I'm making a call. You just lay here on the couch, I'll finish dinner and we'll eat then we'll snuggle and watch a movie or two and when you get up in the morning Mikhail and Rain will be here." He kissed her brow and lifted her left hand and kissed the diamond there then got her comfy on the couch, and moved to the kitchen where he finished the grilled chicken for their salads.

"Ranch or black pepper vinaigrette?" The sound of the fridge opening and homemade dressing bottles being pulled out.

"The black pepper." Angel smiled and came in to help, she set a hand on Halex's back with a soft smile. "Thank you for fixing dinner."

Halex took her Vinaigrette and shook it up for her before taking the homemade ranch and drizzled it over his salad before adding the bacon bits and croutons then waiting for her bottle and popped them both in the fridge. Then they walked around the counter and couch and settled in, putting in The Chronicles of Riddick and she settled into his side as she mixed up her salad and ate happily. 

She washed her bowl and set it in the drainer. She was full and tired. She got a glass of milk and four cookies. Halex sipped coffee and clock-watched as the night wore on.

"Halex I'm gonna go up to bed. Tell everyone I'll see them when I get up." She leaned in and kissed him so deep he felt it in his toes.

"Goodnight my sweet Prince."

"Goodnight my queen." He watched her go and only turned around when he heard her door close and he smiled. "Tomorrow will be a good day."


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three

When Angel had finally slept she slept hard, the great thing about the memory foam was the bed didn't shake when it was entered or got out kinda like that old commercial with the wine glass that showed a lady jumping and not spilling the glass. he was curled up and Rain had climbed into bed with her as soon as she found her black tee and superhero fuzzy pants and curled in her arms. 

"Rain?" Angel asked softly, "You're here... thank you." She rubbed her face against Rain's shirt.

Rain smiled and stroked her hair back, "Of course I'm here... you need me right now. I have two ob/gyn's that work for me and understand what you are going through. They took over the load and send me on my way." She rubbed Angel's nose with her own, "I love you kiddo."

"Mmmm. love you too."

Angel smiled, "I really do love you, you know...". She yawned and cuddled in closer so she could kiss Rain again. Trailing her fingers through Rain's notorious blue hair. "Rain thank you for being here for me, thank you for trusting Halex." She closed her eyes so the tears slid over her eyelashes and down her cheeks.

Rain practically purred as she caught Angel's lower lip in her teeth and tugged gently, "You sweet, sweet baby girl. If you weren't so dazed and confused over your wall of a man I'd sweep you off your feet and take you back to Tucson."

Angel giggled sleepily and cupped Rain's face in her hands kissing her sweetly as she could, "Oh Rain sweetheart. I love you to the moon but I love Halex too." She looked sad and lay back down, cuddling up to the spicy scent on her pillow and drifted back to sleep. 

*~*~*~*~*

Halex was handing Mikhail a beer and pointed across the family room to the closed door, "Downstairs guest room, it's quite roomy and quiet, you'll be comfy. When Kirill comes he'll be upstairs in Rain's room. You won't hear us unless she has a night terror."

Mikhail simply nodded and headed into the room to unpack, "Halex? How are we hiding both of us being back in the states at the same time... I know you're officially here from the use of your card."

"I don't know yet my brother. The womanI've loved most of my life called out for me and love just shoved."

Halex worked on dinner as he sipped his beer. He knew cuisine from all over the world and had settled on Greek, his specialty there was Gyro sandwiches. He longed to see Angel's face when she bit into the tender lamb and tzatziki sauce.

Mikhail came out after he was done unpacking and had changed into sweat pants and a tee shirt blending in American, something he never let go of even when they were overseas. He had slid his Glock under the mattress and he sat on the couch and took a sip, "So Kiril is coming to marry the blue-haired doctor?"

"That's what she said that she would marry him, that she didn't see his scars. He'll be here tomorrow night."

Mikhail nodded and rubbed his jaw. Emily will be heartbroken if she ever finds out I was in town and never called or saw her. I don't want to break her heart."

"I give you 24 hours leave starting right now. Drive safe and get back ASAP this is a real case we are on." Halex started to shave the meat off as he hummed tunes from Phantom of the Opera, "In sleep, he came to me in dreams he sang and that voice that calls to me and speaks my name."

*~*~*~*~*

Angel lay curled in sleep as the mattress slowly conformed to her shape. She was having dreams of her and Halex becoming intimate and She could feel his life-roughened skin under her hands that's when she awoke... The kiss. The kisses that always burned her skin like fire. 

Halex was smiling at her, "Dinner is ready so come downstairs and eat with us sweetheart. "

She smiled and sat up rubbing her sleep-deprived eyes, "Oh dinner sounds so wonderful even at three in the morning." Angel hopped out of bed and slid into her robe as he turned his head, "Halex?" She had her hand on the door as he turned around and started to follow her.

"You undo me little one. Your kisses burn a fire in my soul, so warm in fact I feel invincible." He chuckled and patted her rear as he walked by and headed downstairs.

He pinched her rear causing her to jump and screech as he scooped her up and took a shaky breath in as they headed down those stairs. She was making it so hard to remain chaste if she kept it up he would be buried deep in her by breakfast. While the thought turned him on he kissed her cheek and sat her on the couch.

She felt the same way. Angel had shifted so he could wrap her legs around his waist and crossed his arms about his neck. Every breath, every step sent parks of needing, wanting, burning up spiraling through her body. Desire burned well through her body. Haled we keep this up and were either going to cause a very public display of a very private moment!"

Halex came to a stop at the base of the stairs crushing her gently into the wall as he kissed her gently at first the roughening it as she let out a long steady moan of approval and nipped his lip, "Halex don't stop, please, don't stop!" Her breath was heavy her pulse pounding strong through her electrified body.

"Halex take me back upstairs! Now!! Oh, gods above! Take me now." She was panting heavily and trembling. "I need you know. I mean really need you! I feel so broken...!" She was crying as she clung to his neck for dear life.

He stopped at her bedroom door and tried working her out of her shirt as he kicked the door closed as he kissed her over and over, "He didn't break you,"Halex growled as each word comforted them and he smiled as he climbed up into the bed with her and stroked her satin skin.

Angel stared up at Halex in the pale light, "Oh Halex," She smiled.

"Angel mine. I just want you comfortable. I want you to know I love you."

"I know," She blushed making her freckles more prominent.

"I want you to feel safe Angel," He said softly, stealing a kiss.

"I feel safe in your arms Halex Adler." 

"Then by all means," he chuckled and kissed her, his mouth gentle on hers as he tasted her sweet taste,"You're too kind and now I'm yours."

"I am taking you as mine." Angel smiled as Halex growled softly and settled her higher up on the mattress and knelt between her thighs, "Angel Alexi High soon to be Adler, I claim you as my wife," He smiled and kissed her as he caught both of her hands in one of his and rests them over her head in his left hand as his right stroked the smooth skin of her thigh as he continued to kiss her over and over until his hand cupped her breast and bent his head to suckle firm flesh of her chest and nip at her rosy peaks. "Oh, Angel..."

"Halex," Angel asked softly as those green eyes shimmered in the moonlight and she stared up at his eyes. "Oh Halexreached softly and pulled his blue button-down from his shoulders and slid her warm hands underneath and stroked over the cords of muscle until each hand held a shoulder.

"Angel, mine. You feel so good. "Forever for a long time I have wanted to be with you like this. Over a damnable decade." He gave a heavy breath before cupping her cheeks between his hands and began deeply kissing her again, happily exploring the sweet taste of her mouth, "Holding her close he stroked her skin gently with strong fingers, "Angel I'm glad you will be my wife."

"And I am great full you will be my husband. We will live a wonderful, exciting life, just the two of us." Angel said soft her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She hooked an ankle around one of his legs and rolled them on their sides and then flipped them over, In moments she was sitting on top of his hips proudly and she watched him.

Halex chuckled as he pulled her top off over her head and tossed it aside and cupped her hips and slowly; oh so painfully slowly he slid his hands up to cup her breasts, the fit into his grasp perfectly as he leaned down to kiss her pale blushed peaks as he slid his hands back down and lifted her up enough to turn them over so he had the control himself and slowly; painfully slow they made deep passionate love until he got her to give up a piece of her self with an exploding storm inside her.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four

Halex held her close as the night comforted them both. The house was quiet, the lights out. Rain slept in her room as Halex wiggled out from around his lover, Angel sighed heavily as she felt alone Halex had showered and he went downstairs to make something to eat.

Mikhail was sitting on the couch watching television. Halex came and sat beside him a mug of coffee and a sandwich in hand as he watched his friend. "I thought you were sneaking off for a few days to see your wife." 

Mikhail shifted and kissed his cheek softly. "I am going in the morning, "I called and spoke with her sister, She is working nights at the hospital right now, my flight leaves at five am and I will get there about seven. I can't wait to see my kids." He smiled and closed his eyes. "What are you two up to and when is Kirill supposed to get here?" 

"Emily is a good woman. You keep her happy, at least you get to see her occasionally. How are the twins?" He smiled and shifted watching him, "Kirill will be here at four thirty-five tomorrow afternoon." HE stroked his goatee and watched him in return, "We are just getting to know each other again and settling into our new life slowly. A wedding will be wonderful, In two days at the courthouse. Then we live happily. I stay out of the lime light and do not travel over seas and She keeps to the hospitals and maybe fat with our children in time.... Or maybe I take her over to Dubai and we live there." 

"Crazy talk, crazy talk. You two will be perfect. You will decide your lives and I will be part of it I am sure." 

"This is almost over and then we will be safe to return you to Emily, and maybe we will live long lives." He chuckled and hugged him and pushed him out the door toward his rental to take to where ever he had to go out in DC. 

Halex turned off his bologna in the pan and finished his second sandwich eating it quietly and finishing his beer before turning off the lights, checking the doors, and going upstairs to Angel where he slid into bed with her once he slid out of his slacks and button down and rest them over her chair. She was shivering either in bad dream or just because it was a bit cold tonight, it was snowing again after all. He slid up behind her and spooned her so he could press his warmth into her as the house slept. 

Halex kissed the back of her neck, "I'll see you in a few hours." He promised but when she woke in the morning he was already missing. 

"Do you not sleep?" She asked when she found him with the puppies while Beau and Dixie were outside pottying. 

"I do, but I wanted to meet you when your up, I could sleep all day while you're at the hospital." He kissed her belly and smiled up at her, his eyes twinkling.

"Then do so please, I will be home tonight at eleven, I'm not on call so I don't have to stay there. They can call here for cases and I'll go in. I was gonna eat cereal, pack my lunch, and take a shower before I went in. Did Rain get in okay?"

"Yeah she did and I made omelet cups. You'll like them." He got up and got her breakfast and handed it to her. "Now eat this and I will go see if Rain would like to join us for breakfast." He headed for the stairs.

"All right." Angel sat at the breakfast nook and waited for them to return as she sipped her apple juice. 

Rain joined them in a sweatsuit a few minutes later and Halex had served them and they were talking Hospital shop. She smiled, "I have photos to label and put in a new photo album and a few things to read and call in for others in my practice." Angel and Halex nodded and soon Angel headed out to her car and waved to them in a pair of pink scrubs with a baby Garfield and Odie all over them for the little girl she was helping this morning and she drove off, and soon Rain and Halex were left staring at each other. Rain jumped up, "I'll do dishes!" And Halex smiled, "I'll vacuum," then he chuckled, "Then I believe I was told to go to bed, I"ll sleep a while jet lag has me."

"I hear you there, I don't have jet lag but I could sleep a year too once I get my chores done for the clinic," Rain was up and doing dishes, "Breakfast was delicious. How did you think those up?" She watched him as he was getting the vacuum ready.

"My mom made them when I was a kid and they are quick and perfect." He headed into the family room and started vacuuming and then put it away as Rain was finished scrubbing the tile floor in the kitchen and breakfast nook.

"Goodnight Halex."

"Good night Rain." He smiled at her and headed up stairs and closed the door and searched through his stuff for a pair of sweat pants and took a shower in Angel's too big for one person shower and turned off the water, got out, and dried off. He slid into the sweat pants and ran his brush thru his hair. Then headed out into the bedroom and curled up into that too big bed that swallowed him and before he could even begin to think of anything he was asleep.

*** *** *** *** ***

Angel met with the young girl and her family, all of them bumped and bruised as she offered a smile and looked at the young girl and turned to the family, "She will go into surgery in forty-five minutes. I'll be repairing the damage and cleaning up and stitching the cuts. I'll come talk to you once she is back here in her room and from here we'll talk about her up keep and how to keep her scars tiny and not that noticeable."

She shook the parent's hands and headed out to get ready.

Three hours later the little girl was wheeled back into her room and Angel followed sipping a cup of coffee and the nurse rolled in her stool and she borrowed the table as she smiled and watched the parents, "She'll be swollen for a couple of days and will be under my care. Now once she's home I must be firm if you want the scars to fade you must use sunblock, no direct light, and using the cream I'll be sending her home with. You will see the changes over the next few days. She has internal stitches that will dissolve and she has visible stitches that will be removed in three weeks."

"Thank you, Dr. High. Thank you for giving my angel a chance." Angel smiled and nodded and went over a few more things then she left after telling the mother and father that she will be in the next day then after that her colleague Dr. Andrew Loetz would be taking over because she was getting married.

Angel left and said good afternoon to the nurses and returned the girl's chart and smiled as she nodded to the charge nurse Charlotte. "Charlotte do you happen to have Friday off?"

Charlotte looked at her phone, "I do. Why sweetie?"

"I'm getting married down at the court house Friday and I'd love for you to be there. I'd like you to witness it." 

Charlotte chuckled. "I would love to be there," She stood up and hugged her. "You have three stitches appointments down in the ER and then I'll see you tomorrow unless there is an emergency." 

Angel nodded and smiled, "See you then."

Charlotte waved at her and sat back down and began typing again and checking on her floor nurses it was so busy with pneumonia and the flu that they were 6 patients to 1 nurse and they were almost at capacity. 

Angel sanitized her hands as she walked into the ER and headed to the suture room and started her work. Finishing a while later she went to the locker room and took a quick shower then bundled up in the sweats she kept in her locker and headed for the parking garage on the pediatrics level and she slid into the car and, turned the engine over and waited till it got warm in the car. This parking garage scared him ever since the night Kirill had dragged Halex to the clinic seemingly so long ago. 

She picked up her phone and dialed home and Rain answered, "Dr. High."

"Hey, Rain it's me I'm on my way home and it's still snowing so it will be slow going. Have I ever told you I hate driving in snow."

"Yeah, just be safe. We love you, hun, you can do this slowly and surely. I found your wedding dress and I"ve pulled it out and took it to the dry cleaners to get the wrinkles out of the material."

"Thanks, hun. Tell Halex I'm headed home."

"Will do. See you soon." 

She popped her phone in her purse and backed up, and headed down to the exit and pulled into the busy evening traffic. She turned the radio off and concentrated she had sand in her trunk and all her emergency stuff, so glad she lived in the city rather than out in the country at this moment. She whistled, talked to herself and sang and finally at 8 pm she pulled into her garage and turned the car off. When she finally let go of the wheel and looked up Halex was standing in the door.

She opened the door, grabbed her purse and locked up before launching her tiny frame into his arms and sighed.

"You okay Angel?"

She sniffed, "I am if you'll drive me to work in the morning and pick me up." 

Halex nodded, "I can do that I have to be in that part of the city for a meeting with my bosses tomorrow anyhow." 

She smiled wiped her tears away and just relaxed against him. He scooped her up and they headed inside the smell of Rain's Hatch Green Chilli filed the air.

Rain cleared them a spot on the couch and Halex sat down as Rain smiled getting beers all around, popping the lids off she added them to the piece of art she was doing in the back door area where the pups were, they were getting pudgy and their little eyes were opening. 

"Angel, I do say you look quite shaky are you okay?"

Angel took a long pull from the amber bottle and swallowed, "I hate that parking garage and I hate driving. It terrifies me. But I"ll be okay Halex said he'll drive, he's good at driving in nearly all weather."

Halex nodded and kissed her brow. "Only one more day of work then your whole life changes," He tilted her head back and kissed her softly. "My Angel."

"My Halex..." She shivered and snuggled in closer. She looked over his shoulder at Rain and smiled at the tall beauty proudly showing off her teal green hair. "Rain... maybe we'll move back to Tucson with you after all this, but for now I just want married and feel whole for the first time in years."

Rain nodded and stroked her back before going back to dinner, "I understand. I truly do. Don't forget... I'm marrying Kirill too. my ceremony is right before yours."

"I didn't forget Rain. I promise." She smiled Rain had fallen for the scarred and tattooed man their age. He was from Dubai and he worked for Halex, but now he could stay in the US and earn his citizenship, "Rain darling. You have earned your life too." 

Angel freed herself from Halex and floated over to Rain and kissed her softly. "we'll be a big perfect family."


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five

Angel had drifted to sleep on the couch, her beer on the table and her head in Halex's lap. The stress left her when she slept and she was comfortable. Her red hair coming down from its chignon. She rubbed her cheek against Halex's thigh as she sighed and just seemed to melt.

Rain smiled as she rolled burritos. wrapping them in foil as she did so, each dozen she wrapped in saran wrap and after the second dozen, she brought Halex two plates. "Here's dinner, probably time to wake her up and get her to eat, she's been losing weight again and if you're marrying her you need to know what to look for in her bad habits."

She smiled and sat down on the other corner to eat while they watched Eragon on the TV.

Halex careful brushed the loose hair from Angel's face and bent down to kiss her, "Baby it's time to wake up, dinner's ready and we need to talk."

Angel stirred, "Sleep.."

"No, dinner time then sleep." He countered her soft complaint.

She slowly sat up and faced him rubbing her eyes with her fists like a child. "What's for dinner?" She asked as she reached for a plate, "Oh the green chili!" She was suddenly brighter as she kissed Halex's cheek and slowly dug in.

Halex chuckled and dug into his own plate. Rain had made it perfect and he smiled as he ate, "This is the best I"ve had out side of growing up in Arizona."

Rain nodded, "Sonoran Mexican is the best." She sipped her beer and looked at Angel. "Sweetheart... you need to eat and go to bed. I really think you should take a vacation from work, you shouldn't be this tired after a twelve hour ER shift and one surgery... You're run down, depressed and your only going to burn out."

"I have burnt out... I don't know what to do anymore... I give up." She sniffed and buried her tears in her burrito.

"Angel you're going to call tomorrow and you're going to tell the hospital that you are not ready to come back after all, if at all and you're going to do wedding stuff and enjoy your puppies, stop and enjoy life while you heal."

Rain just watched him as Angel just cried harder as she set her plate down, downed her beer, and headed up the stairs, closing the doors behind her she stared at her reflection in the mirror and just dropped onto the bench at the foot of the bed and pulled out her pony tail and slowly got out of her sweats and into a night gown. She turned over onto her knees and crawled up on the bed and under the blankets and tried to sob herself to sleep.

"Should I go after her, I feel like I should go after her," Halex said as he sat forward setting his stuff down and stood up. Rain did not stop him, she simply bobbed her blue head and watched as he went through the kitchen and up the stairs.

"Angel?" He called at her door.

"Go Away!" 

Halex just stood there wanting badly to just to relieve her woe. He was pushing her too hard and he knew in time she would either heal or bounce back and be Angel again. Not the drunk giddy phone call that turned into hell. Not the shy mouse that had not blossomed. He rests his right-hand flat on the door and closed his eyes. Her pain was nearly too much, but he loved her and he slid his hand down to the French handle and turned it, glad the door wasn't locked. He slipped inside and closed the door behind him. He could see her slight form. HE walked to the bed and his heart threatened to rip from his chest with her soft sobs of anguish. 

Halex unfolded his own large form and slid into the cover's with her and wrapped his arms around that sweet woman and kissed her brow softly. "Laa yumkinu lilkalimati an tasifa hubbi laki,*" He whispered.

She rubbed her face against his tee shirt and sniffed. Pressing into him as she sought out his warmth and soon she was exploring his body. "You are so very handsome and I'm glad you are here. I"m just an emotional wreck."

"Well, let's sleep for now it's late and we're both tired," Halex sighed softly, his hand stroking the small of her back and soon enough they were asleep in her large bed and she made sure she was pressed against him and he made sure she was enfolded in his arms. He had made a decision. She would not return to work.

*~*~*

Kirill had landed at O'Hara airport at 3 am and disembarked, collected his bag and into customs, He was allowed in only after a few questions: Are you carrying any fruits or vegetables? Business or Pleasure? and How long is your stay?

He made it to the car rental and picked up his compact and quietly drove through the frozen night. Following the directions from his phone, he stopped at a 24-hour Walmart and picked up three dozen roses and a card. He bought some sweats, tee's and socks, he had only packed important papers and documents in his laptop bag and brought his only suit in its garment bag. 

After he had done his shopping he headed into the subdivisions and found Angel's house. He parked in her driveway and collected his small amount of things. He opened the door breathing in the frozen morning air. His world was changing. His world that had left him for so long and now, now he was going to be wed to a doctor. She'd offered and he didn't know but Halex had cried relief that he was being taken out of hell too. 

HE got to the door and reached a scarred hand toward the door bell but then rethought, there was a pale light shining in the peep window and instead, he rapped his knuckles on the door and heard a loud boisterous bark followed by a second one. "Oh please don't wake them puppies."

The door bolt slid unlocked and Rain answered the door, "Kirill?" She'd forgotten he was coming and Kirill smiled for her. 

"Hello, Rain." He reached out his hand to shake hers and she stepped back to let him in. "You'll have to put your stuff up in my room Mikhail has the room down here and Halex and Angel, of course, have the master suite." He nodded and smiled, "Show me the way and I'll tuck it away."

She locked the door behind him and let him up the stairs and to the left, opening her door into a denim blue room with gingham curtains and matching duvet and sheets. She showed him the bathroom and walk in closet and he nodded, "Thank you."

"I'll be downstairs in the kitchen, come down when you're settled and I'll get something for you to eat."

He thanked her again and watched as she left. Then he plugged in his phone, set it on the side of the bed closest the door and set his computer bag on the antique desk then grabbed clean clothes and his suit and headed into the bathroom. Hung his suit in the closet and turned on the water in the shower where he took out his contacts and stepped into the water and just sighed, the plane trip had been excruciatingly long and now he washed up, grabbed a towel and dried off, changed into a pair of grey sweatpants and a black tee and slid into socks and headed down stairs.

Kirill found her still wrapping burrows she'd made twelve dozen in four crock pots and now she was warming two for Kirill, dolloped on some cheese and salsa and handed him the plate with a fork. "Smell's delicious." He sat at the counter on a stool and ate as she worked. "Are you sure you want to do this Rain?"

"Do what?"

"Marry me..."

"Yes, I am. I found you wonderfully attractive in Tucson, you were kind, you talked with me, you engaged me in a delightful conversation and then again when you appeared at the Plastic Surgery Clinic looking for help for Halex." She smiled softly, "Do you like movies?"

"You were kind right off the bad, it was easy to engage you in that conversation. I thought you were pretty right away, your blue hair really brings out the green in your hazel eyes." He got up and walked over to her, gently cupping her face, she slid her hands down his arms and he drew her into a soft, lingeringly sweet kiss.

When the kiss broke Rain bit her lip and he smiled, "Your beautiful and kind."

"I'm glad you think so. I really am, I don't get many dates because I'm not a normal doctor. Let me get these in the deep freeze then we can watch a movie and talk or snuggle or nearly anything you want to try."

He nodded and went back to his dinner while he listened to her work. It was homely, a very homely feeling that was already settling into him as he took his plate to the sink and washed it and put it in the drain basket. Then he padded into the family room and looked at the DVD's and picked out the Bourne Identity and popped it in then turned around, padded around the coffee table and then sat down and waited for her.

Rain was happy and turned down the family room lights and headed over to sit beside Kirill, Kirill patted her leg and smiled kissing her again, "You're going to be my wife, please call me Kirya." 

Rain furrowed her brows, "Kirya?"

"Yes it's the diminutive form of my name, a personal nickname I think you call them here." 

Rain smiled, "I like that Kirya it is." She cupped his face and kissed him softly, "Where did you get all these scars? Or is that rude to ask?"

"It's not rude, you're going to be my wife you need to know these things. I was in the Army of mother Russia and we were climbing a cliff to get to camp and the crack my main cam was in gave way and I fell 60 feet. I was flown out and in the hospital for awhile, they discharged me and that was when I met Halex and he took me in."

She nodded and stroked the lines, grooves, and bumps. "I think they make you more debonair." She leaned in and kissed over his jaw and rocked back on her heels as she watched him, "I rock climb at a rock climbing club in Tucson on those false walls and concrete rocks. Freeform."

HE thought about it a long moment and finally came up with a smile, "Sound's fascinating. Tell me about our home in Tucson, what will it be like?"

Rain thought a long moment. "It's a small home, just one bedroom, a bathroom, living room, kitchen, and small dining area." It has a small yard with a ten-foot wooden fence, a garage and guest house that has a small kitchen, a full-size bath a small living area and my home office. It's behind a grocery store and pet store. My main office is up by Craycroft and Grant just a couple of miles up the road and the hospital is just across the street."

"It sounds lovely." She agreed, got back up, made chocolate sundaes and then brought them in, "They have a touch of Bailey's in them too!" She told him as she dug in and started the movie., resting against him she settled and just felt the rise and fall of his chest as they watched until they both enjoyed the movie, popped in the second one and not much longer after sundaes were devoured, yawns were bouncing back and forth and Rain's stamina finally wore out she fell asleep in his lap and he carefully scooped her up and carried her to bed. 

 

 

*Words can't describe how I feel for you.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six

At seven the next morning when Halex rolled over in the huge bed he found Angel missing, her nightgown pooled on the bathroom floor and a damp towel on the shower bar. The room was free of humidity and the sky was still black. As he peeked out the window the sky was a blinding swirl of snow and he frowned, in a little over 24 hours he was going to be marrying the woman that had made him honest again. He slid into a clean pair of knit pants and threw on a fresh tee and headed downstairs in the slippers Rain had crocheted for him on her flight back to Tucson and then back here with Angel and him and now Kirill.

He padded to the top of the stairs, Rain's door was closed and he smiled. He headed down the stairs. and around the corner into the kitchen. Angel's purse was missing and there was a note taped to the fridge for him. He took it off the fridge and opened it...

"Don't panic that I'm not home I got a call for a very special little girl. I will be staying with Georgia for the night and Rain will be coming too. I will see you at the court house tomorrow at nine in the morning. I love you." 

Halex set the letter on the counter and dug out stuff to make an omelet and toast then settled in to eat and take care of the dogs. He was feeding the puppies one by one with their supplemental bottle There were just so many and only one Dixie. He was also teaching them little jobs their tails wagged and they were soft So very soft. He was holding the girl they were calling Belle, a pretty champagne yellow like her mother. As he finished he picked up the single boy who was a deep black and he smiled, "You're mine Lucky." The pupped licked the bottle and gave a little whine and Halex kissed his furry head and set him back down with all his sisters." He cleaned up his breakfast dishes and slid into the room that was for Mikhail and pulled his own gun from under the mattress and took it and an old towel from under the sink and sat down at the coffee table and began to quietly clean his gun.

When Kirill came down stairs he smiled at Halex then saw the gun, "What are you doing? brother?" 

Halex smiled, "was just feeding the pups their AM bottles and finishing up my breakfast, there is cereal and fruit for cold breakfasts and eggs if you want them, she buys sausage and freezes it you just pop a couple of pieces in the microwave or a pan, oh, she makes coffee a horse shoe would stand up in."

Kirill laughed, "A fine husband you've turned out to be.. somehow I think our job will be over and she will never know and you will be free to live your life."

"Don't be daft Kirya. I love you to pieces but this will not end that easily. Someone will die and it will be one of us men. Mikhail went to see his Emily and his twins he will be here for the weddings. He likes Rain and said he would stand for both of us as witnesses."

Kirill nodded, "It's weird to hear my nickname from your lips Lex." He smacked his friend on the arm and got himself a cold breakfast. "Rain's gone she left with Angel this morning we'll see them tomorrow so why don't you teach me about the pups." 

Halex nodded, "Will do I gotta change their bedding too." He moved to do that as the puppy's descended and started yipping as he settled them back in the baby saucer and put the bedding in the wash. Then turned back to the puppies, "They are all girls except the black one. I'm keeping him and will call him Lucky." He stroked Lucky's ears and between them as the lad slept curled up next to his dad. 

Kirill watched them sleeping, "They're beautiful. Do you have a ring for Angel for the wedding?"

Halex shook his head, "Not yet but I plan on getting a set today. How about you?"

"Not yet but she gave me one of her rings to use to get one for her. I can't believe we are both getting married. You know we just need to get bands now and we can get fancy Tiffany's rings ordered so they have nice rings when they are not working, they both deserve that."

Halex smiled, "I agree. How about we just chill for the morning and check the new to see when this snow will break. We have lived in the desert in Dubai for too long... we barely get rain there this snow is beautiful, cold, evil, and yet amazing."

Kirill laughed, "Do you not remember winters in Russia when the ocean freezes and everything is miserable in those apartments?"

"Yeah I remember, now how about we get changed and head into the city I located a jewelry store that is excited about our business." Halex smiled and finished his coffee and headed up stairs to change into dress slacks and a dark purple button down and his trench coat. Kirill joined him in last nights dress slacks and a polo shirt showing the glint of his neck tattoo. He sported a decent hair cut, and his earnings were small as not to call attention. His tattoo sleeves were as interesting as Rain's. Kirill was the same 6'2" as his boss. 

Kirill slipped into his own trench coat and they headed out to his car. Halex climbed into the passenger seat and they drove, the GPS unit giving directions as they went and an hour later they were sitting in a parking space across the street from the beautiful Tiffany's jewelry shop and they got out and locked up the car and walked across the street. They were buzzed in and each man pulled out a ring. "We're searching for wedding sets that can be ready by tomorrow morning at 8." 

Two men nodded each taking one of them and the men took the girl's rings and sized them then sized Halex and Kirill and got them seats at a table as the sets were brought out that they had, Kirill's set was gold with a blue sapphire and diamond spread, "I just have to enlarge the men's ring and take the women's rings down a size that will take about an hour. Would you like a coffee or water?" Halex nodded and Kirill was going over pink diamonds in many different cuts as the man helping him explained the five C's and showed him what he was picking was the best for his price range and he chose a simple set with the diamonds embedded in the band and nothing needed to be resized and he got the boxes all wrapped together and soon he was sitting with Halex, an hour later they were on the way home as Halex's business phone rang and Oded spoke. 

"You've been found. They want you dead if you try to leave." Then he hung up and Halex started speaking rapid Russian and Kirill got them back to the house and he grabbed his computer bag and looked at Kirill and he sighed, "We have to go back. We have to settle this... I... Angel's not safe with me. You can stay but I have to go. I have to call Mikhail and let him know too. He opened his ring box and pulled out the engagement ring and handed it to Kirill, "Make sure Angel gets this." He called a cab and soon enough was on his way and Kirill had no idea how this all was going to happen. Halex only wanted to protect Angel and love her. 

*~*~*

It was midnight and Georgia, Angel and Rain were sitting in a friend of Georgia's spa and salon and they were getting pedicures, manicures, and hair trims. Angel let them cut her hair to her shoulders the sheer weight of the permanently braided plait was on the floor and they clapped when she smiled, "He's going to love it!" Georgia was glad she'd decided to accept Angel as her friend again. They had all three been through o much, even Rain had decided to like her after all the true villain was gone from the picture. 

After they had all been made beautiful, even Rain had had her hair changed to, it was still it's permanent blue, but now it was in an Aeon flux type hair cut short, short back and long front that curled around her face and she smiled, "Now for the Ranch!" 

Angel stumbled forward and blinked, "the what?"

"The Ranch."

"Yeah, I heard that." Rain slid her hand into Georgia's and they were in the Limo and soon they pulled up in front of a club that only had women in the line and soon enough they were inside the club, "Oh my Heaven you two brought me to a strip club." 

Rain and Georgia chuckled as they got shown down to their table by the stage and drink's were ordered along with a tray of Mega Nachos. Georgia started the tab on her card and then someone came out onto the stage with a guitar and the club when nuts, as he sung a song and gave the rules before it's raining men with a heavy base purred out of the speakers and men in suits and umbrella's, came out.

The girls enjoyed their three hours at the club, all three seriously sloshed as they were poured into the limo and they headed to Georgia's house where they lay on her family room sofa's just mumbling and talking as Georgia's sister who they met at the club had stayed designated driver sober was putting together Rain and Angel's bouquets. 

When they had begun to sober Georgia went upstairs to get the dress she was giving Rain for her wedding and she got needles and handed the deep navy gown to Rain who stepped into the quarter bath to put it on and came back out, it was loose on the chest and a little loose in the hips but Rain loved the dress. They worked on her and it and by five in the morning the girls were sleeping soundly, the bouquets in the fridge to stay healthy and they all drank lots of water, downed Advil, and went out to have a nice hot breakfast before they went back to the house, put on their gowns, took their bouquets and the men's roses and headed down to the court house. 

Kirill and Mikhail arrived a7 8:30 for his brief ceremony to Rain and soon enough they were married and Rain kissed him softly, her hands stroking his face, "I will love you and you will love me." She whispered as she admired her rings and his. Georgia and Angel witnessed their certificate and they were married, a happy couple.

Angel looked around for Halex, but he wasn't there and he wasn't waiting for her and tears sprung to her eyes as she looked at Mikhail as Kiril slid her engagement ring on, "HE had to take care of something. He loves you." Angel didn't say anything as she walked past them as the next couple was called and she caught a cab home as Rain frowned. What was happening to her love? Why did he keep leaving her behind? What could he not tell her?

Meanwhile, at home, the answering machine turned on, "Hello you've reached Dr. High if you need me and I didn't answer please page me. Thank you and have a wonderful day."

The answer came from Halex.

"Angel, probably by the time you hear this, I"m on my way back to Dubai. I know this is not what you have asked for. I know, this is not meant to be, but you need to believe that we ARE. Please forgive me, my beloved. I need nothing else from you but forgiveness. I had to do this for our sake, please forgive me. I promise that I will come back for you, just don't turn away from me when I return... Don't ever disown me like my father did. Please don't shove me away from your life... I love you dearly, you only need to understand that now aside from the numbering questions that might be hovering in your mind at this moment. Tobias will never come back to haunt you. Ever. I promise you and I stood true to my word. The note on the table is you reference number for your flight to Arizona tomorrow. I give you my heart and I leave it in your hands, I'm begging you, please don't ever break it The ring is my proof of my belief for all these years that you'll come back to me, and it proved enough. I love you, Angel Alexi High... Soon enough you will bear my name. God bless you, sweetheart... and I think I've forgotten to tell you this, I love you."


	28. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Rain, Georgia, and Kirill just watched her, "Maybe we should go on a trip," Rain and Kirill suggested and Angel shook her head, "No. I just want to go home." 

Georgia wrapped her in a hug and stroked her back, "How about you come home with me and we'll do something... let Rain and Kirill have their wedding night."

Angel slumped against her and was still trying not to cry, "All right." She pulled her keys out of her purse and handed them out to Rain and Rain kissed her brow and stroked her cheek. "You're gonna be okay, kitten. I'll call you tonight and we can talk for a bit."

Angel shook her head, "No tonight belongs to both of you. Just go please have a good night. Georgia and I will be okay." This time Rain nodded and she and Kirill headed for the parking garage and headed back to Angel's house as Georgia guided Angel to the waiting town car and she smiled and gave the driver the address for the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Downtown Chicago.

Angel just sat in the backseat still trying her hardest not to cry as they traveled through the snow muffled streets. 

Georgia talked non-stop about what was going on and about the hotel room Halex had paid for one night so each couple could have a night alone and she sighed as far as she knew it was still on his credit card. When they got to Wabash on the river they admired the area, "Angel isn't it pretty?" 

"It is I don't come this far into the city until today. Thank you for staying with me Georgia." She slid out of the car as the bags were fetched from the trunk and Georgia smiled and the driver waved good bye to them as they walked in and Angel smiled at the front desk. "Angel Adler for check in.. My husband reserved the room... Halex Adler."

The receptionist clicked a few buttons on her computer and smiled, "Yes ma'am here are your key cards, you have to slide one in the slot by the inside of the door to get your lights. You also need it to work the elevators. You just tap it on the black reader and press your floor. If you need anything just call the concierge. Enjoy your stay."

Georgia took the keys from Angel as they walked to the elevators and she pulled out a key and swiped it over the reader in the elevator and it beeped then she pushed the button for the 18th floor and up the went. Angel pressed into her side as she trembled, she did not want to cry until they had reached their room and a moment later there was a ding, the car stopped as the elevator spoke, " the Eighteenth floor." The doors slid open and they found their room. Georgia opened the door, slid the key into the lights slot and suddenly the dark room brightened and she and Angel slid in, "it's two doubles... that will be perfect." 

Angel picked the bed closer to the windows and settled onto the bench at the foot of it and sniffed. Georgia put her clothes away and tucked her bag in the huge closet then moved to open the curtains a bit and smiled at the snowy Chicago afternoon. "Halex got you a nice room. Would you like something to eat?" Georgia prodded gently and sat beside her. "You need to eat, your pale."

"I'm pale because I just got dumped at the altar. I gave him every part of me and he just left me standing there like a twatwaffle in front of his best friends and vanished." There was a knock on the door and a young woman her age smiled at Georgia. "I'm Emily, I'm Mikhail's wife and I just wanted to check on you, our rooms connect if you need anything Mikhail is in charge of getting it." 

Emily smiled and Georgia thanked her, "Can we get room services or the Spa?"

"Sure can. In fact, I have a spa day for Angel and I scheduled for tomorrow. Get anything you like. Enjoy the bath as well. Angel if you want to talk or ask questions Mikhail will probably have all the answers you need."

Angel waved a hand over her head and Georgia sighed. "Thank you, Emily. We will be in touch."

Emily walked back over to her door and slid in her room before Georgia closed their door and sat down, hugging Angel, "I'm going to order lunch you go get cleaned up and in your nightgown and climb up in the bed." Angel hugged her again and went over to the closet Georgia had filled for her and pulled down the white gown that she had crocheted the collar for, and embroidered little flowers on and took it in the bath. 

There was a basket with bath bombs, shampoos, conditioners, even a fancy bottle of perfume that had her name engraved on it. That was when the tears came and she practically tore her dress off as she sobbed, she dropped a bath bomb in the water and climbed in, her skin turning dark pink from the hot water as she sobbed and shivered at the same time, "Ha," she sniffed, "Lex. I hate you! You never come back ever." She splashed in the water as she leaned forward to turn off the water once it was deep enough to cover her body.

In the other room, Georgia ordered them BLT's and Orange Juices and a piece of chocolate cake to share. Half an hour later Angel had quieted and the knock came and she opened the door and accepted the room service, signed the bill with a 20% tip she was sure Halex could afford the room and she came back inside knocking on the bathroom door and smiled, "Honey lunch is here come on out."

"I'll be right out." She called scrubbing the makeup from her face and rinsing the conditioner from her hair, she smelled like lavender and roses and she pulled the plug, climbed out and dried off, put on the nightgown, a fresh pair of undies, and wrapped her hair in a second towel, tossing the used towels in the basket under the sink. She came out and sat on her bed while Georgia sat the tray down on the bed and joined her as she flipped on the TV to the USA Channel and NCIS was on. 

*~*~*

Rain let them into Angel's house, put the dogs out to potty as she opened the bottle of champagne set it on a tray, added to champagne flutes and a basket of strawberries. Made a plate of Mortadella and a cut up french baguet with home made mayonnaise. Let the dogs in then headed up the stairs to her room where Kirill was undressing, his jacket was on a hanger over the back of the high back chair. His pants and button down were there too and he was standing there flipping through TV channels in his boxer-briefs and tank top. 

"Kirya?" Rain asked softly, "I brought lunch and then we are going to talk about Angel and us and Tucson." 

He nodded and came over to the small table by the bed and sat down in the highback chair his suit was on and Rain sat in the second. They pulled napkins into their laps and Kirill poured the champagne and dropped a few strawberries in each of their flutes and sipped, "Very delicious."

Rain smiled as she made a little topless sandwich and took a bite of the Italian meat on the F\rench bread and they watched each other as they smiled with their mouths closed as they ate and Kiril was the first to swallow, "Angel's life was threatened. That's why he vanished."

Rain nodded, "Well he could have married her first and told her, he didn't have to be a douche about it." Kirill chuckled and nodded, "I agree but we will take her to Tucson with us and make her happy, the safest place for her to be is with us." 

"Then she will be with us. We'll have to rent a u-haul and trailer and pack up enough stuff to furnish the guest house. We'll have to crate the puppies and the adults can sit with their dog belts." Maybe we won't need a trailer, you can drive the u-haul and we can drive the Mustang." She smiled and soon enough Lunch was gone, both were well on their way to drunk and Kirill took her to bed.

*~*~*

Angel had eaten and fallen asleep for a short nap while Georgia watched TV. While she missed her jerk of a husband, Angel meant more to her. There was a knock on the door about five pm and a concierge host stood holding two dresses and a letter. "For Angel High and her guest Ms. Coates. You have dinner reservations at six at the restaurant Sixteen." 

Georgia just stared at him but took the note and dresses, a name tag on each one. She smiled, thanked the host and shut the door and moved to wake Angel up. Handing her the card when she did she smiled and held up the dresses, "We have reservations at Sixteen, do you know how exclusive that is?"

"What yeah... with who?" She opened the card and chuckled. "The Hospital Director they're trying to sweeten my deal and keep me. I don't want to work here anymore. Not for now. I'm too sad. My heart is shattered." She set the card down and lay back down. "The dresses are from Mikhail and Emily."

Georgia sat down and stroked her back. Picked up the phone and dialed Sixteen, "Please let Andrew's party know Angel High will not be joining them. Thank you." she hung up and came and sat beside Angel and stroked her shoulder. "Why don't you try and sleep. 

"All right." She smiled and hugged Georgia, "I just feel like all I want to do is scream and cry. I'm broken. Falling apart and broken. He destroyed me Georgia. He broke the part of me that feels. I can't be around kids right now. I don't even think I want kids now."

"Well don't worry... you should travel. Go places see things."

"I can't... I just want to heal." She started to sob again, the lonely sob story of a woman completely broken. Georgia just held her, rubbing her back. She couldn't believe that only two weeks ago she'd tried to hate this woman. By the time she got Angel to sleep and covered up she went to sit by the window. The River view was beautiful and she watched the sun as it lowered into the west and soon enough dark had fallen and there was a knock at the door and she got up to answer it and there was concierge resenting her with champagne and she took them, 

"Congratulations to the newlyweds." 

"Thank you the bride is sleeping at the moment but she'll enjoy once up." She tipped him and he bowed and left.

She set the tray down and grabbed her things for a bath.

*~*~*

Halex was able to catch a flight out to New York and then on to Dubai four hours after landing. He was turning cold. There would be no one for a while and he twisted the bands around his wedding finger and pinkie. Angel's ring. He would never let her go and now, now he hoped he had finally secured the breaking he had needed for many years. Now Angel could go live a life she could accomplish things from. He rests his forehead on the window in first class and clutched his vodka straight up. 

He had called ahead to let Oded know he was returning. That he wasn't running and that he had cleared up everything in America. Now the team could move on. He didn't trust him anymore but now, now they had a job to finish.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Two days later Georgia had returned a still quite sad Angel to Rain and Kirill and was leaving as Rain tucked Angel into bed. 

Rain smiled, "I'll be right back my Angel. My sweet, sweet Angel." She kissed Angel's brow and excused herself back downstairs. 

Georgia was in the kitchen popping tops off the beer and Kirill was sitting on the couch, the stereo playing quietly, one of Angel's metal bands, obviously Kiril approved but it was hard for Georgia to follow along, she recognized the language as German but knew nothing else. 

Rain took her and Kirill's beers and sat down. It was time for the pow-wow over Angel and what they were going to do to help her. Kirill took a swig and set his bottle down. "So.. Rain this is your talk. What do you want to do?

"I just want her home with me so I can watch her. But she's too far in grief to decide anything."

"Well that's understandable, "Georgia quipped, "She just got left by the man she's been in love with since she met him all those years ago."

"You have no idea," Rain argued, "She has no clue what she wants."

Georgia took a long pull from the bottle she was holding. She was angry, Rain was angry and Angel appeared at the edge of the kitchen, "I'm not leaving."

Both girls stood up to come to her arguing their points in a mishmash of concern as Angel started to sob again, "You say you're my best friends but you're not listening to me. I'll be okay. I just need to throw myself back into life once I"m done feeling sad. I'm allowed to be sad damn it!" She burst into tears and slumped to the couch, "I just want to find my feet and stand up. I love you both but I'm not a doll to be moved so easily. Georgia is going home when the snow stops falling and Rain, You and Kirill are leaving as soon as you can get a flight out. Do the three of you got that?"

Kirill just watched her and got angrier by the moment, "Dah. Are you sure Angel. We can stay without crowding you for a few more days of honeymoon?"

"No Kirill I'll pay for a hotel in Phoenix for the two of but you are leaving here. Something bad happened to me. Something I need to get past without having you two flaunting and nose-butting into my life." 

He nodded and finished his beer, he got up, setting the bottle in the recycle bin and headed for the stairs, "I'm going to pack." He looked at his wife who was crying and he was at a loss he set a hand at the small of her back. 

"I'm going to and then we are going to go to the airport first thing in the morning. I love you, Angel. You know my number," She headed up the stairs afraid to touch him or look at Angel and closed the bedroom door before she let her own sobs take her to the bed as Kirill sat beside her and he stroked her back.

"It will be okay. I know it will."

"No Kirya it won't. She hates me now, all these years and now she hates me."

"We will go to Tucson and be happy, dah? Dah. She will come when ready."

"You think so," Rain sniffed and leaned into him, "I really hope so." 

"I have heard the tales of Angel, Rain. Trust me she will show up. Let's go to bed." He kissed her and knelt to undress her a nightgown beside her.

*~*~*

Halex was just arriving back in Dubai, Oded picking him up and them two of them headed back toward the club and home. He was still spinning the rings on his fingers deep in thought and ignoring Oded until they parked and he got out, climbing the stairs to the apartments behind the club, the heavy music still rattled the floors but the heavily built wall that separated them kept back most of the music. He couldn't believe he was going to bring Angel back to this. Oded got his bag inside and the door was bolted as Halex picked up the bag and carried it down to his room and office at the end of the hall. He went inside shutting and locking the door and set his bag down. Then opened the curtains a bit to look out at the desert he called home. Everything was untouched from when he left except for the dusting, lord the constant dusting, and his bed had been made. He came out of his rooms and headed straight for the bar in their common room and kitchen. He made a drink and sat down, just trying to get her out of his head. Fuck her. That was how he had to think. 

Just.

Forget. 

Her.

*~*~*

Just.

Forget.

Him.

That was all she was thinking as she left Georgia on the couch and climbed the stairs. Rain's light was still on and she could hear muffled talking. She turned left, Dixie at her side, as she moved toward the double doors to the master suite and slipped inside, Dixie gave her kisses and ran back down to go to bed with her pups. She closed the door and climbed back into the bed, just noticing the light on the answering machine and she pushed play and Halex's deep bass purred out of the machine and she tried hard not to scream as she picked up her phone and called his cell.

When his answering machine beeped she only said a few chosen things, "Halex. This is the only message you're going to get from me. I should have killed you that night because you leaving me at the altar hurt worst than that. I love you, I do. But you have hurt me for the last time. I could cuss. But you know I won't. So stay far away from me. Good Bye."

*~*~*

As promised Georgia left when the snow quit falling. She took a cab home, opened a bottle of wine, and went back to packing. She was moving to Phoenix. She'd gotten a job at the cancer center there and was needed in two weeks. She tossed most of the stuff, kept just enough, and gave the rest to charity.

Of all of them, Georgia understood at least some of the feelings that Angel was going through and she just felt frustrated over her best friends emotional outburst, but didn't she too throw Angel away when she'd felt betrayed by Tobias month's earlier?

She finished the kitchen, her glass of wine, and went to bed.

*~*~*

By early evening in Dubai Halex was well drunk and making his way to his room. Everyone else was in the club as he stumbled past closed doors with dark floors and finally collapsed into bed. 

His phone was vibrating on the dresser, he sat up bobbing a little. "It's useless getting drunk over a girl..." He said his accent thick as he reached for the phone and caught it bringing it up to him he accessed his voicemail and listened to Angel's message before hanging it up and closing his eyes, "And like that. You are sober. What have I done?" 

He curled back into his bed and closed his eyes. The last week had been beautiful. He had been so happy and now, now he was truly in hell. With Kirill gone it was only him and Mikhail against Oded and the others if he was half sure they'd followed the other man.

*~*~*

Rain and Kirill had packed the car in the morning while Angel still slept. She'd tried to say goodbye but Angel had still been asleep so she'd turned off her light and retucked her in before they left. 

Now the two were trapped at O'Hare waiting for the next flight to Tucson, a direct flight that would put them in Tucson in four hours. It would be an easy flight and then they would go home and in the afternoon pick up her cat Riley from her medical assistant's apartment. 

Rain curled into Kirill and sighed, saying a blessing for Angel as she held to him. "I got you coffee and an egg and bacon sandwich, I know it's not healthy but is best I could do. I got a yogurt and fruit cup too for the flight, it leaves in an hour."

"They'll give us snack boxes half way too. I have my card for that."

"All right lyubyu*." He wrapped his around her softly and pulled her closer, pressing his lips to her temple. He was a lucky man that this woman looked past the scars. No other woman would touch him since the accident ten years before when he and Halex had just been kids on the backroads outside Prague.

*~*~*

Angel woke in the morning, the house quiet and then she truly felt it. She was alone and she pulled her knees up to her chest and just sat there, her head pressed to her knees. She'd made them all go, and now. Now she had choices to make. First things first she had to eat. She pulled on her robe and headed down the stairs, letting Dixie and Beau out. She padded over to the stove and got the tea kettle, filling it she put it on the stove and cut up a banana into a bowl of cheerios and sat down at the table to eat as she watched the dog in the backyard. 

When she finished she let them in and got them fresh water and washed her bowl, setting it in the strainer he went back up the stairs tea in hand and settled back into the bed with a book and just rested. 

The bed was too big and lonely now though. She set her book down, finished her tea, and headed into the bathroom where she turned on the hot water and fished out all her beauty aids, throwing them away and not looking back, before she stripped and stepped into the stream. 

It was comfortable. Then warm and relaxing and then she was scrubbing and washing and on that's how the next month passed as she dipped further and further into depression and soon enough she was so far gone nothing mattered. She cared enough to hire a weekly maid and a housekeeper. Soon enough she found herself packing and crating the puppies in a Uhaul, she got the mustang on a trailer, a neighbor helped and then she as on her way alone on a cross-country drive toward Arizona as she cried more and more and drank stale coffee. She was getting heavier on her frame but she didn't care anymore. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail that was so badly knotted around the rubberband it would probably have to be cut out.

A week later, and mind you it was March now so everything was slowly melting up north and now that she was in the southwest, everything was warm and blooming. She pulled into a motel on the outskirts of Tucson and when she got to her room with the dogs she picked up the phone and called Rain. Scared, worried she wouldn' care either, but she called none the less.

Rain picked up on the third ring. Kyrill was asleep, he slept in on Saturday. 

"Come get me."

"Sweetheart? Where are you?"

"On Ina I was too tired and overdrove, please come get me." Angel said quietly, "I need you."

"We'll be there in half an hour you stay put and we'll be there what hotel, what room?"

Angel gave her the info and curled up on the bed when she hung up and cried for the umpteenth time. The puppies were all asleep in their crate. Beau ad Dixie were asleep on the bed with Angel. She was home and soon Rain would help her.

 

 

*love


	30. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kirill grabbed his ice chest and put water's in it and made a few PB&J's and grabbed the fresh fruit salad that Rain had made the night before. He slid his feet into his sandal's and he didn't mind the shorts that Rain had got him so he'd be comfortable. "Llyubyu I am ready, let's go." 

Rain came out, she was in shorts too spring was very nice this year, "I'll drive I know right where she is." She smiled and they climbed up in his four-door pickup he'd gotten when they decided they needed two cars.

"Should I take the car seat out?"

"Yes, I want to surprise her with our news... I don't think she could handle it if she found out like that. She really want's kids. She climbed up on the driver's side, "Do you have the straps for the puppy kennels?"

"Yes dear." He smiled and held them up, setting them in the bed of truck he popped the car seat out, unbuckled the base and set it in his work shed and they pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street to Speedway then u-turned and turned around heading for swan and they got on skyline and headed to the other end of town. Forty-five minutes later they arrived at the motel and drove around till they found the Uhaul and the room and Rain knocked and a few moment' later Angel answered the door and sat down so they could come in. Kirill passed her a sandwich and a bottle of water, "You look like you need this."

Rain hugged her tight. Angel was definitely pregnant and she stepped back. "Let me finish paying your bill and Kirya will get all of you guys in the truck." She handed the keys over to Kirill and he started collecting the puppies and putting them in their crate and walked out to the truck with them and belted them in as Rain got Angel in the truck passenger seat and Beau and Dixie in the back seat. Rain got in and started the truck, Kyrill following in the Uhaul. He would get the neighbor Ronald to help him move her into the guest house. 

When they got back to their house Kirill told Rain he was going next door to get Ronald and left the girls alone. 

Angel just sobbed mostly as she held Rain's hand. "I'm in a big hole... I can't get out."

"I'm glad you called Angel. Thank you for coming home to me," Rain kissed her brow, "Let's get you in the truck you need a bath and some good hot food. The guest house is still open for you." Agel just sadly nodded and got up in the truck as Rain went inside to settle the bill. 

When she came out Kirill had fastened the pups in their crate in the back and Rain slung her duffle bag and the dog's back of dog kibble into the bed as well and then she walked over to Kirill, "Kirya? Follow me straight home, Dinner is in the crockpot at home and she and I can go to the super Wal-Mart later tonight," She kissed him and climbed up into the truck and started it then waited for Kirill to get in the Uhaul and maneuver it out onto the street and then waited to follow Rain and Angel.

Angel was slumped against the door just watching the road go past as Rain chatted to her, telling her about meal times, shopping times, hobby's and getting Angel's hair ut and a mani/pedi, wash her clothes, then get her moving properly. 

Angel had a frown on her face but answered her once in awhile because it was polite, an hour later, due to lunchtime traffic, They were there at the beautiful red brick house and Rain parked in the driveway and Kirill parked on the street, unloaded the Mustang and trailer then backed the Uhaul into the driveway and he went and fetched Ronald who was carrying Pizza boxes from Pizza Hut and a case of beer to drink with it and he smiled, "Rain Kirill I brought dinner to go with the unpacking" 

Rain was throwing Angel's clothes in the washer and thanked him, "Just set it on the table." He did and headed back out to start unpacking the truck with Kirill. She had brought everything she needed, the couch coffee table. The tiny two-person dining table, two chairs, two large boxes of books and several boxes with craft stuff. Her box of linens and her bed they put in the bedroom. 

Rain had put the dogs in the backyard once they were done the opening and closing the yard gate. She and Angel went out to the guest house.

"Here you go Angel, your new home. If you need furniture moved, just ask. Kirill still needs to hook up your entertainment center, Here are your keys, "She handed over the keys then carefully walked her to the bedroom and smiled, " This door is your walk-in closet, it's between you and the bathroom and the washer dryer combo is in your bathroom. It's new and here you go." She walked her into the large bathroom with a walk in shower with a stone floor and light purple tile and glass doors. The toilet was next to the washer and the marble vanity The shower head was a rain head and the room was decorated with teal, light purple, and white towels.

"We have pizza in the house." Angel nodded, "All right I will be there in a few minutes." She went back to her bathroom and shut and locked the door, sliding to the floor in tears as she tried to process what was going on. When she calmed down she dug through a box and pulled out her ladies of D.C. fuzzy pants and the tee she got while in the Bahamas. 

After she changed she went out. She opened up the bedroom boxes and started with the elastic dust ruffle. She was in so much pain and nothing was going to help it and she got the dust ruffle on and started with the sheets and blanket, folding the duvet at the foot of the bed and opening the second box and dumped all her pillows on the bed. She was shivering and it was just 70 degrees outside. She went out in the living room and gave a brief acknowledgment to Kirill who was putting together her entertainment center.

*~*~*

"Thank you, Ronald. We'll still be on for game night tomorrow? I've started the appetizers for us." 

"Thank's much I'll let Tina know." Rain nodded and waved him until he was in the house next door then came back inside and out the back door and smiled at Kirill, "Kyria hows it going?" 

"Hello, Llyubyu! I am setting up her electronics and helping her unpack. Last I saw of her she was in the bedroom making her bed."

Rain smiled and kissed him softly and slipped through the door into the bed and bath and found her curled up in her bedding and mountain of pillows. 

"Hi Rain..." her voice cracked. "Thank you for taking me in. Maybe you could take me to sprouts and Fry's so I can stock my kitchen." 

Rain smiled blinking back tears, "we need to get you a Washer-Dryer Combo for, in the bathroom. They called Kirill and let him know it was ready for pickup." She stroked Angel's cheek. "How about we go over to Sprouts and Walmart and Fry's in my car while Kirya is doing his part in all of this."

Angel smiled and nodded as she sat up and Rain got her into a pair of Wildcat sweats and her new sneakers. Angel handed her brush to Rain and sat in the desk chair while Rain worked on her hair, cutting it short and spikey bringing out the pretty in her face. 

"Okay, sister lets get to the car." Rain smiled and let her out and to the car.

Angel slid in and touched Rain's crucifix on her rearview mirror then buckled up. She rests her head against the window as they traveled up to the Walmart first and they picked out things that Rain knew she needed. 

Rain picked up towels cleaning supplies. Two very pretty wall clocks, made copies of the keys and gave them to Angel then moved into the grocery area and they filled the cart and headed to check out. Angel pain for the food, Rain swiped her card for the household things and then they headed to Sprouts to get the organic, healthy stuff.

An hour later they were home. Angel put everything away, poured the dog food in the Rubbermaid and lay down on her couch, Kirill was gone at the moment and when he came in the door with a trolley and the washer, dryer unit and then he built the shelf around it. 

"All right Angel. I'm heading back inside if you need anything just come knock on the back door."

"All right Kirill, Have a good night." She saw him to the door and locked the screen door and then locked and bolted the inner door. She gathered the dogs up and brought them into the bedroom and shut the door, filling their kibble bowls and climbed into bed after changing into a long nightgown. It was a new one and she was putting on weight. She'd stopped exercising, she was eating badly. 

*~*~*

Rain sat in their bed in a tank top and underwear and she stroked her belly. She was only 2 months pregnant, but she and Kirill were excited. Kirill stripped down and went in the bathroom coming out half an hour later, the dirt gone and her husband climbed up in bed with her. 

"How are my best girls," He asked as he kissed her softly. 

"Another month and we can hear her heart beat.."

"Really?"

"Yes now come to bed I have a long day tomorrow."

"As do I, Llyubyu."

*~*~*

Another four months passed... and Angel's mood was always dark. She refused to admit she was pregnant and this was causing a rift between her and Rain...

*~*~*

Rain had adopted out all the puppies but two. Lucky and Cera. She had brought home a doppler stethoscope to help make Angel understand what she was going through. She let herself into Angel's apartment where her friend lay listening to music. 

Rain sat on the bed and turned on the doppler and swiped it over Angel's growing belly. "Angel listen that is your babies heartbeat, that is your little one."

Angel pulled off her headphones and Rain passed the doppler over Angel's belly again and Angel paused Rain saw the tears.

"Two days before the wedding Halex and I made love in the rented Limo. It was the most beautiful thing I"d ever been a part of. Rain I don't know what I'm going to do. He doesn't want to marry me, his leaving in proved that. But I don't want you two to be responsible either. I'm just going to lay here until I am a mother."

"Are you eating properly? Taking the vitamins I left for you?"

"Go away Rain." Angel turned her back to her Rain and said no more so Rain left her be and went inside and got Halex's number from Kirill and prayed it wasn't disconnected.

Kirill came out into the kitchen to do dishes while Rain waited for Halex to pick up. She was just about to push the button to end the call when she heard that gruff voice, "Adler... Hello?" 

"Halex. This is Rain. Angel is here in my guest house very pregnant and very depressed she can deliver anytime now she's in her third trimester. I suggest you come get her soon. I love her and I'm trying to help her but I can't deal with the stress either. Come and get her, come and see her see how broken she is and take her back with you. Please."

He was silent letting Rain have her say, he thought another moment and bit his lip. "We will come and get her. Just make sure her passport is up to date..."

"I will."

"I just have to call Princess Abijinn. Then we should be there in two days."

"Thank you, Halex, she's in the guest house on the back end of my property." Rain hung up and crushed herself into Kirill. "He'll be here in two days." Kirill nodded and kissed her cheek softly.

"You're going to be happier again and the stress will be gone, ye tebya llyubyu."

She smiled, "I love you too."


	31. Chapter Thirty

Halex was on the phone with the Prince Amin-Ah-Sala and with-in the hour Halex and the other's were on the Prince's Plane and strategizing the taking of Angel High. It would take 26 hours to get there, it was 12:50 am and they would land around 4:30 pm then the window to grab her. Moab was filling needles with black fuzzy ends for the dogs, puppy doses, and adult dog doses and then he filled another two syringes and handed them to Halex who tucked them away in his vest pockets. 

"Thank you, now remember to avoid the main house Kirill and Rain will be in there the dogs are in the backyard at that time of day for outside time because the sun is setting and its cooler. The house on the back of the lot is where Angel was and she was to be treated with the most care possible, "She's seven month's pregnant. I will handle her. No bullets only tranquilizers." He pats his pockets for the syringes again, "Now let us eat breakfast and sleep the rest of the way to Tucson. I love this woman and right now she despises me."

*~*~*

Twenty-Six hours later the team was awake and eating lunch, the captain came over the speaker, "Mr. Adler we will be arriving at Tucson International Airport in an hour. It has been passed along that your SUV's will be waiting and my return flight is already okayed for 6:45 pm, the flight back is twenty-six hours."

Halex finished his sandwich then made sure the small bedroom at the back of the Prince's plane had clean sheets and blankets, that He brought her favorite movies were aboard in the bag for her. 

Halex came back out and Mikhail was staring at him, "Your really going to do this?"

"Yeah I am, she pregnant, Thinks I abandoned her and now, now I have to keep her safe I have to keep her from herself." Halex blinked hard attempting not to let his tears betray him. "I got you back to Emily for your son's birth, I am... in a strange way, asking you for that convenience with Angel."

The seatbelt sign came on and they all sat and buckled their seatbelts as they felt the decline into Tucson, all passports were ready when customs came aboard to check them out and clear them into the country they headed out and into the SUV's then using a map they drove the half-hour to the house, parking in front of the house, Kirill was watering the grass but he dropped the hose and rushed into the house to hug Rain close as Moab and Midian sedated the four dogs and got them in the one SUV while Halex and Mikhail headed into the guest house and looked around not seeing her in the great room and then they stepped into the bedroom. 

All Halex could see was her back arched as she lay on her side. He walked up to the bed while Mikhail packed a duffle with all of her things he thought necessary. Halex sat on the bed and pulled out one of the syringes and carefully gave her the shot earning a turn to her back and her eyes hazily trying to focus on him. 

"Hal... no." her eyes slid closed and he picked her up and headed to the SUV and slid into the backseat with her. He held her head and her Red curls that were always so beautiful were in knots and not taken care of, "What have you done Angel... Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you let me help!" he whispered against her ear, kissing it softly. 

Rain just watched with tears down her own face, "Please Kyria tell me I did right. Please."

Kirill turned her in his arms, "You did do right this will all work out, Mikhail will keep her safe and Halex will come around you will see. You've been doing the best you can for her. Let's go work on the nursery the paint is dry so I'll let you in there now. Make it pretty for our baby girl."

Rain kissed him and they headed to the nursery. 

*~*~*

They were on the plane with 15 minutes to spare and Halex had buckled Angel into a seat and he sat across from her, Mikhail next to her and the others behind them. Oded sat by Angel on her other side. 

"Does this mean no more disappearing," Oded asked as he watched Halex closely.

"Yes, no more disappearing," Halex kept his gaze. He was going to have to kill him.

They both fell silent as they reached cruising altitude and the belt light went off. Halex unfastened Angel's belt and lifted her up. HE carried her back to the suite and locked the door. He lay her on the bed and tucked her in then lay down beside her, just holding his little nymph.

Mikhail looked at Oded the tense muscle in his cheek spasming as he held back on trying to hurt the man whom he'd thought was a friend and one time. Right now his concerns lay with the two people behind the closed door and Emily and the kids back in D.C.

When drinks came everyone in the forward cabin ordered strong liquor to help them sleep. Halex got two can's of cranberry juice for Angel and a glass of the Macallan 25-year-old sherry oak scotch whiskey. He sat on the side of the bed sipping his as he watched her sleep she was skin and bones around the baby. She obviously had not been eating well and that worried him for her sake and the child. 

When he was done with his drink he set the cup in the trash and lay beside her again, this time stroking her belly and smiled when he felt the kick and he leaned in. "Hey in there, this is your father. You haven't known me yet but you will. From here on out I am taking good care of your mom and you." The baby seemed to kick him again and he sighed. 

Halex pulled the blankets around her and made sure she had bottles of water. He slid out and back into the cabin getting eyed by Moab and Oded. He had trusted most of these men he'd known for ten years. Oded was new... if he killed Oded he'd be off the FBI most wanted list. But his most prized possession was sleeping in the bedroom. 

Halex shifted and locked eyes with Oded. "You hurt her or that child and I will make sure you never get yours."

A muscle in Oded's cheek twitched a moment then he smiled. "I know all about you Adler. You no longer fool me. I've known about you all these years. I'm why your family is dead."

Halex reached for his boot pulling out a hunting knife and lunged for Oded.

Oded grabbed his wrist and tried to shove his arm upward, the knife embedding in the headrest behind him. 

"Give it up Adler!"

"Go to hell Oded." He managed to yank the knife out and drag it across Oded's throat cutting it badly but still not enough to call for a surgeon or death as Halex swung again, cutting his arms as Oded shoved them up in defense as Halex lunged again, Mikhail grabbed Halex and pulled back as they were out of each other's space and shoved him behind him, his Glock pulled and aimed at Oded as everyone else watched. 

Mikhail spoke to Halex, "Idti s Angelom."*

Halex made one last lunge at the same time Mikhail fired a single shot between Oded's eyes.

"Mikhail..." 

They cleaned up the mess and Halex went back to Angel followed by Mikhail. 

Halex licked his lips as Moab and Midian got up to take care of the body and again Halex spoke to Mikhail, "Where did you get that gun brother?"

"It was on the plane under my seat. Oded was looking to kill you."

"I know he was Mikhail it was why I left her at the courthouse, remember." 

"I'll make the calls when we get you home. Do you want her in your room or in one of the apartments?"

"I want Angel in my room. Make sure she's comfortable, make sure she is safe, make sure she has anything she wants." 

Mikhail watched him carefully, "Halex... you're gonna be with her... aren't you?"

Halex looked at him and sighed, "I will when I can. Mikhail, we've been doing this the last ten years. Oded is only one man who doesn't want us to turn in all the businesses, thefts, drugs, I'm having a baby, I took off on a woman I have loved since I was 12. She's gonna need all the support she can get."

Mikhail shifted, "Kirill is married and becoming American. Emily will be happy to have me back. All this money will be yours, you'll be right where you belong. 

Halex just watched his best friend. "You killed Oded..."

"He was going to kill you. I had to!"

"Thank you... But how can we find out if he was his own or part of a syndicate?"

Mikhail sighed. "I'll watch over Angel. You just be safe. I promise, nothing will happen to her and your son or daughter will arrive safely in two months."

Halex closed his eyes, "I love her Mikhail. More than anything." He hugged Mikhail in a tight strong hug and kissed his cheek before he turned and went back into the bedroom.

Angel was coming out of the sedation and she was blinking and stretching as she watched Halex, assuming she was still dreaming until he sat on the bed.

"What are you doing here and what did you give me." She just stared at him.

"I sedated you to get you back to me. You've been sleeping which is good. It's a twenty-six-hour flight. We're only six hours into it. I killed someone who wanted to hurt you, it's why I ran to keep you safe. My life is dangerous. I want you safe is all."

"I want you to leave me alone. I will have nothing to do with you." Angel tried to talk through heartbreaking sobs. "you kidnapped me. You drugged me... I'm nowhere near home. Where are you taking me?!" She finally got upright slapping him as hard as she could, "Leave me alone just go." she sighed and sat on her hands. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm doing this because I love you. I've loved you forever." He reached out but when she flinched he pulled his hand back, "Rain was worried for you. You were hurting yourself and the baby." 

"My self and my body are not yours to be concerned about." She put her hands out in front of her as she stood up, "Why are you trying to make it all okay when it's not? Why!?" The second question a shout as she backed up until she was against the bathroom door and Halex was pulling out the second syringe and walking toward her. "You're going to hurt yourself." 

Halex reached out for her pulling her close when he could finally get his arm around her and he pressed the second needle into her arm and dropped it to the floor when he'd drugged her completely; holding her as the medication sedated her and he carried her back to the bed and got her comfortable once more. He pulled up the blankets and tucked her in then went back out to the galley and sat down. "Where is the good murderer boys?"

"Tucked away he will be removed and burned when we reach our destination. How is our precious cargo?" Mikhail rumbled. 

"She woke and got terribly upset. I had to sedate her again she'd tucked in safe and snug," He sat in his chair and lay it back into a lounge and their stewardess got them all blankets and turned down their lights to a soft violet shade.


	32. Epilouge

Two month's later Mikhail was making dinner for himself, Angel, and Halex, the other's were watching the club until after Angel would go to sleep. He turned the steaks on the stove top grill and sprinkled bits of horseradish butter. Halex had finished producing the drug, Dragon and sold it to Oded for 10 million US Dollars and deposited it into a Trust fund for their baby boy. Angel had begun to sleep in Halex's room once she was put on bedrest and didn't want to be left alone as much as she could help it, and with Halex's private office connected to the bedroom, he could leave the office door open with the hall doors shut and locked.

Mikhail was the only one whom he allowed near her and he had helped her become friends with Emily and they chatted over Skype every day when her children were napping. Mikhail enjoyed his new friend and he plated Dinner, added the herb butter to the baked potatoes and dished up some fresh veggies and headed for the bedroom door. 

He knocked and Halex got up and came through the joining door and let him in, He thanked Halex who also that Mikhail and soon enough they were getting her table in place and settled her in, "Lava cakes are for dessert. " He refilled her juice and brought it back and settled into the recliner while Halex and Angel ate. 

"Oh, Mikhail this is wonderful... Thank you for making it."

"I enjoy cooking for you two... it's good practice for when I get home... Angel's a sweetheart but mothers deserve to be spoiled." He smiled at her and nodded toward Halex. "Well I'm gonna go shower, Halex the cakes are on the stove if I"m not out when you're done." Mikhail headed out, locking the door behind him.

Halex finished dinner and took their plates coming back with the dessert when Angel moaned in pain and held her belly. "Ungh.. Halex I think we need to go to the hospital. She said at any sign take me in," She sighed as the pain eased up and she was able to push back the covers, her cotton gown was spotted with blood and Halex grabbed her and headed down to the car, Mikhail disheveled but in a hurry when Halex got him. Halex picked up a box from his dresser and they got comfortable. 

Mikhail safely got them to the hospital despite the busy night in their area of the city. Dr. Kassim was already at the hospital doing rounds of her mothers and he met them in the elevator and they rushed to a private room and Mikhail had brought the camera and stayed out of the way as the nurses's got her into a hospital gown and got her back on the bed and the doctor was able to evaluate things, "Water broken she's bleeding freely we have to do an emergency cesarian get her read, get Halex ready as well. Mikhail, you can't go into the emergency suite, but you can be with the baby once he's out and evaluated by the neonatologist and NICU staff."

The nurses rushed in and got them prepped and as they rushed down to the suite Halex pulled the box out and kissed her forehead. "Marry me, Angel, I want to be married before this boy is born." She nodded fear and terror in her eyes as another contraction started and she cried out from the pain, "YESSss." And quickly enough the holy man performed the quick ceremony and declared them wed just as they hit the surgery door. Angel was crying again and soon enough they had to sedate her.

As soon as she was out the process began and as 7:16 PM on baby boy Halex Alexsander Adler was born and Halex deemed that he would be called Lex.

 

To Be Continued....


	33. Chapter Thrirty-One

The rest of the flight went well. Angel started coming out of the sedation about an hour before landing and she stumbled out into the galley, the stewardess pouring her cranberry juice and getting her a grilled chicken salad to eat as Halex and his men were playing with the puppies and their mom and dad just watched on.

Mikhail approached Angel rather than Halex and sat beside her, "Hello Angel. I'm sorry this has happened. You and I will become good friends and we will be inseparable. I was against this but Rain called Halex, and he kind of went nuts. He loves you Angel, but we took care of Oded he was the one that threatened you."

"Threaten me?" she was incredulous and turned to face Mikhail head on.

Mikhail stroked her arm, "You're gonna get through this. Somewhere deep inside you love Halex despite his faults and I want you for a sister. Think you could manage that?"

"Why did he threaten me, what was he going to do?" 

"He was going to kill you to make Halex come back and continue with the drugs and cars and the Money. Halex killed him because of the threat to you and the baby. Halex is the best, and the most ruthless but you turn him into a soft kitten with don't pet the tummy-itis. He starts not paying attention to what he's doing."

Angel listened and nodded, "Thank you, Mikhail. I am very angry with him. I don't want to share a room with him. Can you fix this, so I'm comfy and relaxed so I don't hurt my baby."

The look in Angel's eyes was breaking his heart and he took her hands in his. "I am Halex's bodyguard but I think I'll keep you safe. We'll make this work. I promise. He will come around." He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed them, "We will be best of friends."

She curled up in the big chair and sipped her ginger ale. The stewardess came around collecting garbage as the pilot announced that the local time of 9:30 pm, the temperature was 80 degrees with a breeze of 30 kilometers an hour. 

They landed ten minutes later and waited for customs to clear them, checking passports and vet records and then they all deplaned and headed for the black SUV's waiting for them before heading toward home. Angel yawned several times and held Lucky and Bonnie. When they got to the brick building Moab went up first unlocking the door and getting Halex inside and then Angel. Midian and Moab brought up Angel's bags and led Dixie and Beau up the stairs and inside. 

Two more men, tall like the other's stood on either side of the door. Halex reached for Angel and she side-stepped him and carefully dropped into a chair in the common room. It would be hell to get out of the chair it was soft, deep, and fluffy. She moved a bit as Halex went down the corridor to the private apartments and headed into his rooms carrying Lucky and settled him onto a blanket with his sister Dixie had followed and laid down with her babies while Beau stayed with Angel, sitting practically on her feet. The steady beat from the club was vibrating in the walls and concrete and tile floors.

It seemed as though Halex looked through her as he started speaking, "I have to go to the club for awhile, get settled you are a day ahead now it's ten pm and you need some sleep." 

Halex walked down the hall and opened the office door that led into the club and Mikhail scooped her up and carried her down to his room laying her on the second bed that used to be Mitya's, he had to call Mitya, he had to find a good end for both his friends. He closed the door behind him as he followed to the office. 

"Halex she doesn't want to be here. Why do you have to do this?" Mikhail asked slamming the door behind him. "What are you trying to prove to yourself? That you are mean, ugly, and nasty after all?"

Halex turned and looked at his best friend, "I am saving her life She will be safe here while I finish out whatever Oded and his cronies want. That they won't harm her now It's almost over. Then we can go!"

"I want that Halex... but the drug was your brainchild.. you created this monster and then you let people like him in! The rest of us we've all been friends for YEARS!" He yelled at him again, then turned around and left without another word.

Halex just stood there watching him, he knew Mikhail was right. He had to solve all of this. But in the morning the baby doctor and her nurse were coming over to see Angel, to help them get everything they needed for the impending birth. 

He went back to his chair in the VIP section and ordered a bottle of Vodka and sighed as the rest of his men that were awake at this hour of freedom, were sitting around him, with him, and by themselves as they partied out the night.

*~*~*

Angel had curled up in one of their recliners curled around her baby, it was the most beautiful sight to him. He missed out on both of his children's births and pregnancies. He scooped her up and walked down to his apartment door. This was so great. He knew it was perfect. Halex didn't want her happy, he just wanted what he saw as his and this was not a woman Mikhail was going to fend off while Halex partied in the club.

Mikhail lay Angel in bed and smiled as she gazed upon him with a fuzzy glance and smile, "Thank you." 

"Your welcome. I will go get your bags and bring them back. You are in a private apartment, I have my own bath, the twins are next door."

"Moab and Midian?" 

"Yes, The are bodyguards also. Wall I think you called me. I remember them on the plane. Why is Halex not here... I don't want to go in his room if he's not going to take care of me. Get me home. To Chicago. I'll leave the dog's with you but I have to go. He's not helping me."

"He has a doctor's appointment for you in the morning and things will change. His world is crashing down. He's never really wanted anyone but you... your prom photo hang's in his office where he usually spends most of his time and he has a recent one from Christmas too. Give him till tomorrow night." She sat quietly and watched him. 

"Thank you, Mikhail. A Doctor check-up isn't going to make me happy. Being where I know the world I will be. He LEFT me at the proverbial altar. Pregnant, broken, and alone. I've been falling to pieces because of him. He doesn't want this child. I don't want him to be a father if he's just going to leave me behind. He chose to do that. He's afraid of commitment. Then I am through with him.

"Please shower and go to bed. Melatonin is safe for pregnancy, there's some on the bedside table." I"m gonna go get your bags and call Emily maybe she and the kids could meet you in Chicago. I'd trust you and Emily together." He nodded and grabbed his phone calling Emily. 

He got to the living room and everyone else was in the Living room filling out recliners, "I need to talk to all of you I'll be right back." He picked up the luggage and carried it back down the hall to his room. Angel had taken the melatonin and headed for the bathroom. There was a bench in the large marble and stone bathroom and she got everything going and soon enough she was undressed and tucked behind the glass cube wall of the shower. 

Mikhail brought the bags in and set them on the bed. He knocked on the bath door and called out that towels were fresh by the door and he was closing and locking the door behind him. 

She called out okay and then stuck her head under the waterfall shower head. She bathed, the heat melting into her tense muscles and then she turned off the water when she heard the door close and she wrapped her hair up in a towel and slid into a teeshirt and shorts and set her bag on a chair and climbed into the big bed to go to sleep. Mikhail was right between the soothing hot water and the melatonin she was sound asleep in a few moments after she got comfortable.

*~*~*

Mikhail sat in his recliner with a beer in hand as he addressed the crew. "The boss is changing and we are under duress to complete the selling of all the dragon we have left. We will not see a penny of it. IT is all going to pay Oded and his outside buddies to keep him from harming us or Angel. The boss is messed up and thoroughly upset. He wanted it done. He brought Oded on because he came with high reference from one of the Princes... In two month's there will be a baby here. A bundle of joy the boss and the love of his entire life created last December after he rescued her and showed him the domestic side of him. She has been very ill and we need to help her and him or it's liable to get ugly. 

Moab and Midian shifted in their chairs. "I'll help watch over her Mikhail," Moab said and Midian chimed in with he'd help with the boss. Soon enough new priorities were handed out and Midian was sleeping in Kirill's bed, sharing a bathroom with an empty apartment that they turned into Dixie and Beau's bedroom.

*~*~*

When Mikhail got up in the morning Halex was already in his office working on paperwork. His face was untrimmed and his hair a maddening mane of unruly thick curls. "Morning Mikhail, do you know where Angel slept last night?"

"She didn't want in your room so she is in my room until you two work things out. Here's your coffee, ditching her to us was not a good way to show her you were all about her."

"I can understand that.. thank you for taking care of her... Where did you end up?" Halex asked as he sipped the steaming brew. 

"Kirill's old room." The doctor will b here soon. Midian is your guard for the morning. Moab is Angel's." Mikhail sat down and started typing on a computer as he helped with the bills from the night at the club. It would have them busy until the doctor showed up and four hours later there was the bell ringing and Mikhail went to answer it and brought the doctor and nurse down to his room, he knocked on the door and Angel let them in. The nurse had a big bag and set it on the edge of the bed.

"Angel This is doctor Kassim. She's labeled as the best in town." Halex said as he sat in Mikhail's reading chair up toward the head of the bed. The doctor talked with her and her touches were gentle and reassuring, "Lay back dear were going to get the babie's heart beat and some pictures as well."

Angel lay down and the shirt was pushied up and her shirts pulled gently down the swell of her baby. The doppler slid over her belly freely with a little cold gel. "A strong healthy heart." Next was a little more gel and a hand held ultrasound she take a picture and put it in the chart and one beside Angel as she was looking at them. 

"Can you tell what my baby is?" She asked with tears in her eyes. Halex took her hand in his, "Please?" Angel added.

The doctor checked and smiled and took a picture. "It's a boy.. Mom and Dad congratulations"


End file.
